Tillotama Shome opens up on negotiating fees in the industry amid pay gap issue between male and female actors: 'You have to demand it'

Tillotama Shome is well-known for her strong roles in independent and parallel films. With a career spanning twenty years, Shome is known for portraying complicated characters with depth and real emotions.

She has earned accolades for the same. Recently, she opened up about the ongoing pay gap issue in the film industry.Tillotama Shome on the pay gap issueIn a recent interview with Bollywood Bubble, Tillotama addressed the ongoing pay gap issue between male and female actors in Bollywood. When asked about why people relate to her demand for fair pay, she said, “I think people relate to it because everyone has undergone the experience of being devalued.

Whether it will change or how far, I’m not sure because the pay disparity between men and women is really unfair…to say the least.

” She highlighted that this unfairness is a shared experience that many understand deeply.Tillotama Shome on walking away from projectsShome stated that even people who empathize with her stance on fair pay are often unwilling to pay a premium, She understands that it is a mindset that she accepts, as she is willing to decline projects that do not value her financially.

“I think even the people who heard that interview and sent me screenshots of how they related to it and how moved they were by it, also will be the same people who will push back on paying – because it is a mindset. But it’s okay, I’m okay with walking away from projects where I don’t feel valued financially”, she continued.Tillotama Shome on demanding fair payThe actress further added, “This whole story of ‘art’ and for ‘art’s sake’ is just people born with privilege, patronage and family wealth can say such things; but if you come from a working class family and you have chosen the arts as a way of life, then there’s great value to what you earn and being able to incrementally increase that value based on the work that you have done and how it has performed… Unfortunately the obligation is not on the maker… you’ll never hear the maker giving an actor a huge pay rise, you have to still demand it”.Tillotama Shome’s notable workTillotama Shome’s earliest film is ‘Monsoon Wedding’ followed by ‘A Death in the Gunj.' Other significant films include ‘Shanghai’, ‘Hindi Medium’ and ‘Lust Stories 2’. Additionally, she has appeared in popular webseries like ‘Delhi Crime’, ‘The Night Manager’ and ‘Paatal Lok.'