SHAME:VIDYA is cheaper than BEBO

Talent is usually shortchanged for glamour in Indian cinema!

The Indian film industry has always had double standards. Acting or talent is not the criteria for doling out an actor's pay check. That is why Naseeruddin Shah never got the crores that Jeetendra or Vinod Khanna did; Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil were always paid far lesser than Hema Malini and Rekha.

A trade analyst says, "Bollywood has fallen into the trap of labelling its actors - saleable and available. The glamour girls or the superboys, who usually score more in the looks department, have always overshadowed true talent. Stars have always been paid more, while actors have often had to fight to get what is rightfully due to them." Take the latest case of Vidya Balan. A powerhouse performer, Vidya has repeatedly proven her mettle in Parineeta, Paa, Ishqiya and, now, The Dirty Picture. In fact, The Dirty Picture has crossed the 75 crore mark and will go down in the annals of film history as the first woman centric film to have netted this kind of money. What's more, Vidya has done it all by herself. She has no Khan or Kapoor by her side. In all fairness, one must admit that the word 'dirty' in the title also worked its charm at the box office. Yet, you cannot take away from Vidya's talent, courage and her conviction.

Taran Adarsh says, "In a business where you are only as good as the numbers you generate, Vidya Balan has proved that she is bigger than all the existing girls. However, I think she hasn't got her due because she is not good with her PR and doesn't brag about being in the 6-8 cr bracket like other girls do. Vidya lets her work do the talking."

Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt says, "Slavery comes in attractive packages! Since the dawn of time, all the heroines who have conformed to the age-old diktats of the male chauvinistic culture have got paid much more than those gutsy girls who dared to subvert status quo, took risk and dared to change the existing mindset. Hemaji and Rekha followed the rules of the trade. Shabana and Smita broke them. The former got paid much more for fitting in. The latter got a tiny piece of the pie because they dared to rock the boat. In the dawn of the 21st century, nothing has changed. Katrina and Kareena have made their choice and conformed to the system wherein the male star spearheads the narrative. In these movies, the ladies play a decorative role and for doing this, they receive an exorbitant price. Vidya has dared to break the rules and swim against the tide. Whoever has chosen to take the road less travelled on has found himself alone. Non-conformists don't find takers! This is the price one has to pay for breaking or making your own rules. The best things in life are not free lady!"

There you go guys; stardom has nothing to do with talent.

FEES OF ACTRESSES

KAREENA KAPOOR - reported 6 cr Heroine

KATRINA KAIF - reported 3 cr Dhoom 3

DEEPIKA - reported 2.5 cr Race 2

VIDYA BALAN - reported 1.5 cr Kahaani
*All prices are approximate