Shefali Shah, Bhumi Pednekar on pay parity: OTT fairer to women

India Today

31-07-2025

Actors Shefali Shah and Bhumi Pednekar recently opened up about pay differences in the entertainment industry, and how OTT is slowly changing things for women. Shah said that the gap in pay is often more about star power than gender, while Pednekar shared that her experience with streaming shows has been more fair, where actors are paid based on their work and value.advertisementThe two shared their views during a session titled: Begums of Binge: How Streaming is Empowering Women at the Women Summit, where they were also joined by Tanya Bami, Series Head at Netflix. The discussion was about the continuous change of women's roles in web shows and how OTT are giving them more chances to be seen, heard, and express themselves freely.Addressing the long-standing issue of pay inequality, the 'Darlings' actor said, "Honestly, I don't even know if its pay parity between gender. I think it's between a star and actor. So you could do a film and play the lead. If there is a star opposite you, you will never ever get paid that kind of money. But on OTT, it does kind of change. I don't really think it's about a man or a woman per se."
Bhumi Pednekar agreed with this and spoke about her own experiences in the industry. She said, "I have my fair share of experience. Obviously, when there is somebody who has a lot of experience who is working with you, then this conversation is redundant. So if you are working with somebody who has achieved credibility like yours, who has done similar work like you, then there is a parity in that phase which is true. However, my experience with my first outing has been different. We were paid for the value that we had."Both actors admitted that OTT is giving better chances to women to play strong and meaningful roles. They also believed that the digital sphere is also giving them the respect they didn't always get in the cinema.On the work front, Shefali Shah was last seen in 'Three of Us', starring alongside Jaideep Ahlawat and Swanand Kirkire. She is set to return in 'Delhi Crime' Season 3 with Rajesh Tailang and Rasika Dugal.Bhumi Pednekar recently starred in Netflix's 'The Royals', a romantic comedy drama where she played a fierce startup founder opposite Ishaan Khatter. The show, which also featured Zeenat Aman, Dino Morea, and Sakshi Tanwar, has been praised for its fresh portrayal of modern romance. Up next, Bhumi will be seen in 'Daldal', a gritty web series for Prime Video, where she plays a police officer. The show has wrapped filming and is awaiting a release date.- EndsMust Watch