It is well-known that an industry cannot thrive unless it is standardized in all proper ways. While the film industry is not exactly what common people understand by the word industry, it surely demands some basic standardization, especially the case of standardization of labor. But, sadly enough, many recognized film industries lack this process and despite having some rules for standardization on paper, most of them are generally ignored by the people at work. Such has been the case in a renowned film industry like Telugu film industry where there has been a recent accusation from one of its leading heroines in terms of disparity of payment on the basis of gender discrimination. While it was out of the blue, it was surely the uncomfortable truth.
The heroine who spoke
It was Rakul Preet, the sunny heroine of Telugu film industry who rose to stardom in a meteoric manner. While some of the stories may border on the level of miracle, it is surely an inspiring story for those who want to succeed in the world of cinema and make a name in the industry. While she has only made a handful of films, her films were surely big. Another fact is that her casting was, more often than not, against the big names of the industry. All these came together to propel her in the top tier of actresses. So much so, her recent signings have raised some eyebrows. Not because they were big films, but it was because of her remuneration.
The recent debate
Rakul, as reported, has recently signed films like Bruce Lee. But, while signing this film and also, Nannaku Prematho, another film that Rakul signed after Bruce Lee, there have been whispers of her demanding 1 crore rupees as remuneration. While this is a huge sum of money, producers are taking no chances since she has surely been a screen magnet and audience flock cinema halls for her. But, this has surely caused a buzz in the industry and it was reflected during the recent interview that Rakul gave for the promotional cause of her latest film, Nannaku Prematho. Rakul was drawn to comment on this huge demand of money. 
The smart reply
While the question would have caught any other person off-guard, such is not the case with Rakul. She displayed her smartness in the tight situation and replied with a just answer. She pointed out that rather than discussing about her sudden increase in remuneration, it is best to ask why the star heroes ask unthinkable amount of money for signing a film. The amount is generally ten to fifteen times higher than the general heroines. It shut the journalists up since Rakul had a valid point. Heroines are surely underpaid in the industry and male stars generally get all the focus both in terms of payment and stardom. Maybe time has come to change the general notion, and who knows, Rakul may just be setting an example and leading the way for future heroines.