Shah Rukh admits no one can compete with Salman at the box office

MUMBAI: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has said that he cannot compete with Salman Khan at the box office because ‘none of us can.’

In an interview with Indian magazine Femina, the 51-year-old actor said, “Let’s look at it like this. I can’t compete with a Salman Khan at the box office; none of us can. That is the reality.”

On a question about pay disparity between male and female actors in Bollywood, he said that market forces dictate the payment in the film industry because they define the result at the turnstiles.

“When we ask for equal pay, a lot of pressure is put on women actors to sell the movie on their own steam. I know that women actors work five times harder and get paid 10 times less than men”, he added.

Talking about his own productions, he said that he attempts to pay them as well as he can.

“In my own small way, I have asked for their names to appear before mine in credit roll. I’ve co-produced films with women directors and actors. I believe I am the change. I always see a story from a woman’s point of view, make sure the woman’s role is meaty”, the Raees star added.

“Today, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif and Priyanka Chopra take home really good pay packets, more than some heroes. And they deserve it. I don’t know if they take more than me or Salman but they’re celebrated for their worth.”