Amid ongoing conversations around pay disparity within the entertainment industry, Tejasswi Prakash has shared her personal experience, offering a refreshing and surprising perspective. The actress opened up about her earnings, profession selections, and why she prioritises meaningful roles over big-budget opportunities. Scroll all the way down to read more.
Tejasswi Prakash Opens Up On Pay Disparity In Industry
Gender-based pay gaps live on within the film industry, where female actors are sometimes paid significantly lower than their male counterparts, sometimes earning only a fraction of what men do. Nevertheless, the scenario appears somewhat different on Indian television, possibly because many shows revolve around women-centric narratives. Reports suggest that among the highest-paid stars within the TV industry today are women.
While Rupali Ganguly is claimed to command the very best fee in fiction programming, Tejasswi Prakash reportedly dominates the non-fiction space. She is believed to be among the many top-paid contestants on shows like Celebrity MasterChef India and Bigg Boss across seasons. In an interaction with News18, the actress shared that she has personally not experienced pay discrimination.
Revealing a surprising narrative on pay disparity, Tejasswi shared, âIâve not faced pay disparity. Mere saath nahi hua. If I felt I used to be being paid lower than my male co-actors simply because Iâm a girl, I’d voice it out. But I donât think I used to be ever underpaid because of my gender. There are such a lot of shows where Iâm being paid higher than my male counterparts. To be honest, in just about all of my projects, Iâve been paid greater than them.”
Tejasswi Believes Pay Gaps Are Based On Seniority Somewhat Than Gender
She further clarified that pay differences do arise when working alongside more experienced actors, but believes that such gaps are based on seniority moderately than gender. âI canât compare my pay with someone whoâs super senior to me. That might be silly.” Tejasswi continued, “If a male actor has done a number of work over time, heâll surely be paid more. But thatâs due to seniority and never because theyâre men.”
The Swaragini actress also revealed that she has often prioritised strong roles over lucrative offers, selecting substance over money. She explained that she doesn’t take up projects merely for visibility or business appeal. Tejasswi shared, âI need meaty roles, however the scripts which are offered to me donât have a powerful female role, largely. And thatâs why Iâve said no over and over.”
She further added, âAn awesome title with some great actors, directors, production houses and platforms attached to it are great in your resume but they donât allow you to do lots in them. But when it finally releases, I donât want my viewers to say that Iâm hardly doing anything in it. Loads of times, they need you in it for the views. But I donât want that. I donât need to be used like that.”
Although she acknowledges the expectations her audience has from her, especially wanting to see her in additional projects, the actress maintains that she is selective about her selections. Clarifying, she adds, âThere arenât too many great projects offered to me. Iâm also very choosy about what I do. I once said no to a really big film. But I donât regret it. It was tough to say no, and I donât know if I did the appropriate thing by turning it down.”
Tejasswi’s Work Front
On the work front, Tejasswi Prakash has established herself as one of the crucial popular faces on Indian television. She gained widespread recognition with shows like Swaragini and went on to develop into a household name after winning Bigg Boss 15. Her portrayal of the lead in Naagin 6 further cemented her position as a top TV star.
Furthermore, Tejasswi made her debut with Psycho Saiyaan alongside Ravi Kishan, further showcasing her versatility across formats. Within the series, Tejasswi plays Charu, a mysterious woman caught in an intense and dangerous love story, together with her performance praised for bringing a layered, manipulative, and compelling edge to the character.
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Also Read: Tejasswi Prakash Splurges Rs 7.63 Cr On Premium Apartment In Mumbaiâs Bandra- Deets Inside
Sonali Singh watches movies like itâs a job (and truthfully, it sort of is). Currently pursuing her Masterâs in Communication and Journalism, she lives somewhere between deadlines and movie scenes. If itâs Bollywood, sheâs already investedâmovies, drama, and all of the gossip included. When sheâs not writing, sheâs either dancing her heart out like nobody’s watching or attempting to mimic people, proving that not all talents are supposed to be discovered.