Deepika has been reportedly paid more than Ranveer and Shahid in Padmavati
Everyone knows that Deepika's a big deal in Bollywood. So, rumours that she takes home a bigger pay cheque than her Padmavati co-stars Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh don't really come as a surprise.
But it does make for an interesting factoid, considering the infamous gender pay gap in movies industries across the world, which tend to offer better compensation to male actors than female actors.
What does Deepika say about the matter?
When asked about her pay at the launch of Padmavati's 3D trailer, Deepika hinted that the exact details of her paycheck are nobody's business.
"Talking about my remuneration isn't exciting," she said. "But I am proud and confident about the money I get. You are comfortable with what you are paid."
But she acknowledged that the big-budget film's marketing emphasises her role in the film and that makes her happy:
"But what makes me happy is that they (producers) have invested so much money in a film which has a poster featuring me on it. That makes me proud." None of her male co-stars made it to the poster.
Padmavati is a period film by Sanjay Leela Bhansali that stars Deepika as Rani Padmini, who performed jauhar (self-immolation) with hundreds of Rajput women when Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh) invaded the fort of Chittor and defeated the army of her husband Maharawal Ratan Singh (Shahid Kapoor).
The film, despite protests regarding its historical accuracy, is scheduled to release on December 1.