The 31-year-old shared her side of the tale in a chat about “How Does a Heroine Become the Hero?” on the India Today Conclave 2012 here Friday.
“I was in La sometime back once I got to understand that ‘Salt’ was actually written for Tom Cruise. And Angelina Jolie was actually the second one choice, it wasn’t Brad Pitt or anyone else. In India, there’s no such choice.
“It’s always between three or four Khans or other male actors. I SUPPOSE female actors are there for just dancing with them. We need to stand behind Shah Rukh and Salman (Khan) and say, ‘Hey! I’m here too, give me something to do.’ And the paychecks… what Salman gets and what I get… let’s not even get there,” said Kareena.
She is alleged to be the top earning female star in Bollywood, and reportedly demanded Rs.8 crore for Madhur Bhandarkar’s “Heroine”. But Kareena still doesn’t consider herself a hero among all heroines.
“I don’t think I’m a hero because the entire films like ’3 Idiots’, ‘RA.One’ and ‘Bodyguard’ that made Rs.100 crore-Rs.150 crore, their producers and the entire three Khans took home their money. What am I left with? ‘Chhammak challo’?
“I don’t get a pay cheque up to them. I'M REALLY NOT at the same platform as them. But I'LL fight for it, and hopefully someday we will be able to get there. But I do believe that god was kind. Somewhere my labor was recognised, and i'm also glad that there’s been a stellar performance by Vidya Balan and he or she proved to be the hero of 2011 (with ‘The Dirty Picture’),” she added.
The year awaits a power-packed performance by Kareena in “Heroine” and he or she says: “I am giving it my very best.”
“And for a metamorphosis it's fun not standing behind or beside Shah Rukh or Salman,” she quipped. – IANS
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