“Shekhar Suman got twice the amount I got, despite being the highest-paid TV actress,” recalls Pallavi Joshi as she talks about the gender pay gap |

In the past, we have seen many actresses open up about the pay disparity within the film industry, be it South or Hindi cinema. This is a topic that many continue to raise. And now, actress-producer To Pallavi Joshi has recently revealed the gender pay gap that prevailed in the television industry during the 1990s. She said that despite being among the most sought-after actresses of the time, she earned much less than her male counterparts.Pallavi she recalled a period when she and the actor Shekhar Suman they were considered the highest paid stars of Indian television. Sharing an anecdote from that time, he said during a chat with IANS, “I will tell you that there was a time when there was a magazine cover that had Shekhar Suman’s photograph and mine. I think because Shekhar Suman and I were the highest paid television actors in those days.”However, he pointed out that even at the peak of his television career, his remuneration was nowhere near Shekhar’s. Highlighting the unequal pay structure in the industry, Pallavi stated, “Shekhar Suman used to get double the amount that I got. Despite being the highest paid TV actress, I was still paid half of what she was paid. That says it all.”Pallavi Joshi was one of the most famous faces on Indian television in the late 1980s and 1990s, winning accolades for her performances in popular shows like ‘Mriganayani’, ‘Talaash’ and ‘Aarohan’. Known for choosing powerful and content-driven roles, she built a reputation as one of the most respected performers in the industry. Meanwhile, Shekhar Suman enjoyed immense popularity during the same period through hit TV shows like ‘Dekh Bhai Dekh’, ‘Wah Janaab’ and ‘Movers & Shakers’.On the work front, she has recently garnered praise for her performance in the recently released serial ‘Margao Files’.