Bollywood’s long-running debate on pay parity is once again in the spotlight. Many voices across the film industry have been speaking about the gap between what male and female actors earn, and why it still exists. Along with this, several stars have also stressed the need for fixed working hours on film sets, pointing out how much the system needs to change.Amid this wider conversation, filmmaker DK, one half of the Raj-DK duo known for ‘The Family Man’ has shared a bold and clear viewpoint. According to him, the biggest female stars in the industry deserve strong remunerations..
DK stresses women stars’ strong box office pull
In his chat with News18 Showsha, DK highlighted how several women-led films have made big money. He said, “There have been so-called women superstars who’ve been the leads in films and those films have made a lot of money. I don’t know the specific details but I would think that those leading ladies should be paid very well. They can bring in that kind of box office numbers. If it’s pure capitalism, it definitely makes sense. If there are two actors – A and B – and they’ve different kinds of market pull, they should be paid accordingly.”
DK highlights fair pay for leading actresses
Backing today’s top names, DK firmly stated that Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, and Kangana Ranaut deserve bigger cheques, just like male superstars.DK added, “I, obviously, think that there should be no gender bias there. Largely, it [remunerations] should be dependent on an actor’s market pull. That’s how the business should work. Kangana (Ranaut) has headlined so many different films that became blockbusters. The same can be said for Deepika and Alia. It means they’re superstars.” For DK, these actresses have already earned the title of “superstar”, and the industry should pay them accordingly.
Raj-DK continue shaping strong female roles
Raj-DK have long been appreciated for showcasing powerful, layered and memorable female characters. DK confirmed this is intentional. He said, “It’s by design, of course. We always wanted to have strong female characters in our movies. Sometimes, the milieu and situation of a story may not allow it to happen. But when it does allow and you’ve the opportunity to create a nice, well-rounded, identifiable female character or a female character who kicks a, there’s nothing more pleasurable than that.”
DK speaks about ‘The Family Man 3 ’
Speaking about ‘The Family Man 3’, DK explained how the women in Srikant Tiwari’s world, Suchi, Raji and Meera bring depth, conflict and balance to the story. These characters, played by Priyamani, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Nimrat Kaur, are far from simple side roles. He shared, “When the opportunity came with The Family Man, we first created the wife as a strong pillar of support and a counterbalance to Srikant’s work life. In season two, a woman became the antagonist, which took things to the next level.”
About ‘The Family Man’
The much-awaited ‘The Family Man 3’ started streaming on Amazon Prime Video from November 21, 2025. This season introduces fresh faces like Jaideep Ahlawat, who joins the series as a drug smuggler from India’s North East, bringing a darker and grittier edge to the story. Nimrat Kaur also steps into an important role, adding a new dynamic that could change things for Srikant.
