Criticism for Kareena's 'Sita' Fee Rooted in Sexism: Taapsee Pannu

Kareena Kapoor was trolled on social media after speculative reports claimed she asked for 12 crore to play 'Sita'.

Kareena Kapoor Khan and Taapsee Pannu

(Photo Courtesy: Instagram/ @kareenakapoorkhan, @taapsee)

In June, #BoycottKareenaKapoor started trending on Twitter after reports speculated that Kareena Kapoor Khan had demanded a fee of Rs 12 crore to play the role of Sita in an adaptation of Ramayana. While the reports were completely speculative, several trolls attacked Kareena for the news, also dragging her religion into it.

Taapsee Pannu has said, in a recent interview, that Kareena Kapoor was completely in her right to demand a large salary especially since she is one of the 'biggest female superstars' in India.

"If it would have been a man in that position, who would have asked for a particular amount, it would have been looked upon like, 'iski market badh gayi hai (his worth/status has improved)'. Like that guy has really achieved big success in life. But because a woman is asking for it, she's called 'difficult', 'too demanding'. It's always like that."

Taapsee Pannu, Actor

Defending Kareena amidst the backlash, Taapsee mentioned that the criticism is deeply ingrained in sexism because a man asking for a salary hike is seen as a mark of his high status.

"But why not? She is one of the biggest female superstar we have in the country. If she demands a certain salary for the time, it's her job. Do you really think, like all the other mythological characters that are played by men, do you think they do it for free? I don’t think so," she told Bollywood Bubble.