Women have to work harder in comparison to their male counterparts: Raveena Tandon

Driving compelling discussions around social challenges and issues, Vidya Balan will be seen striking an engaging conversation with Raveena Tandon, Zoya Akhtar and Rajkummar Rao on the long-standing issue that the country faces when it comes to 'Equal Pay' on BIG FM's show 'Dhun Badalke Toh Dekho with Vidya Balan'.

When asked whether she will agree on the existing pay gap and if she has witnessed any change over a period of time, Raveena said, "We face inequality when it comes to pay not just in the Indian film industry, but in other sectors as well. Women, unfortunately, have always had to work harder and prove that they are not only equal to their male counterparts but probably are better. While things might take time to bring about a change and balance, we can see the situation improving in our industry, where actresses are getting very well paid now, which is a good start."

Commenting on the pay gap, director Zoya Akhtar, who has time and again stood for issues that deeply affect women said, "Each case is very different. But the uniting factor here is when I am contributing X amount of work, hours and energy in return of investment made on me, I deserve to be paid equally irrespective of my gender. It's as simple as that."

The ever-charming Rajkummar Rao, who has been vocal in favour of equal pay, said, "Of course, there should be equal pay for men and women. Your work doesn't depend on your gender but your work. So, there has to be an equal pay."

In another segment, when the conversation veered towards the power dynamics between men and women, Swara Bhasker shared, "There is no relationship without power equation be it amongst a father – daughter or even siblings. There is always a power dynamic, which should be equal. Our constant endeavor should be to equalize the power equation especially when we have the opportunity and the equal space to do so."

Commenting on the #MeToo movement and sharing her thoughts about consent, the star added, "What is wrong is wrong irrespective of the fact who commits it. Maybe practicing this belief might get difficult and one has to pay a price but I believe it's worth it. As a woman, one needs to take a stand on owning their body and deciding who is allowed to touch it. Through the movement, we encouraged women to be brave, break their silence and walk with freedom fearlessly without any protector"

Concluding the show based on 'What Women Want,' Vidya said, "It is not a power struggle to understand women and be in a constant competition on who wins the reign. When men feel secure about their stance is when they can create a support system for women around them. What women really want from the men in their lives is to be considered an equal which will eventually help in changing society's age old notions. It is very important to keep the gender aside and understand each other as an individual for a smoother ride to progress. This is the only example we can set for the coming generations."