Amyra Dastur isn’t apprehensive about asking for the money that she deserves

Actor Amyra Dastur, who is about to complete a decade in show business, doesn’t have any apprehension about asking for the remuneration that she deserves today. Talking about how one has to stand by their decision after reaching a certain stage in their career, she tells us, “I leave it to my team and we decide on a certain amount. If we feel that we aren’t getting our worth, we leave the project and move on.”

But she’s quick to add she’s ready to take a cut if a good script is mounted on a smaller budget: “I may do that a good film than can be an important addition to my body of work. Money can never stop me from doing good work. If a film isn’t a high-budget production, it’s no one’s fault.”

Dastur is glad that female actors are no longer derided for asking for a seat at the table. “There was a time when we were called difficult for demanding what we thought we deserved, but that’s waning off now. Today, it’s fair when you ask for what you deserve,” she explains.

The 28-year-old actor feels that an actor should be paid “according to what they can bring to the table” irrespective of their gender. She elaborates, “(Actor) Taapsee (Pannu) said that there will always be an inequality in terms of remunerations because at the end of the day, a heroine can only get a certain number of audiences. But if a hero can pull in a larger crowd, he deserves to be paid more.”

Happy with the changing landscape in the film industry, Dastur shares, “With the OTT boom and the rise in female-driven narratives, female actors are being paid their worth. And that’s great because then you don’t feel under-valued. We aren’t just pretty faces anymore!”

Empowerment and demanding for what one’s worth comes from the right kind of education, believes the Tandav actor, who recently tied up with a foundation and donated school bags, stationery and clothes to underprivileged children.