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'Kareena Kapoor was the star in Chameli' reveals co-actor Rahul Bose, admits getting paid fraction of her fees: 'Men have also been starlets'
Kareena Kapoor’s Chameli co-star Rahul Bose revealed she was the film’s star and admitted earning only a fraction of her fee, saying men have also been ‘starlets’. Details inside!
Kareena Kapoor delivered a memorable performance in Chameli, a film directed by Sudhir Mishra and released in 2003. Starring alongside her, Rahul Bose recently reflected on their collaboration, acknowledging that the actress was undoubtedly the film’s leading star. He also revealed that his paycheck was only a small portion of what she earned. Sharing his perspective on pay differences in the industry, he remarked that male actors, too, have played the role of ‘starlets’ over the years.
As per PTI, speaking at the Mardon Wali Baat conference, Rahul Bose playfully described himself as a 'starlet', acknowledging the reality of the industry's dynamics. He said, "Men have also been starlets, and I am a shining example of that. I was the starlet in Chameli, and Kareena was the star. She gets more people into the theatre even today than I would. Simple as that.”
He further added, “I was paid a fraction of what Kareena was paid. It's completely logical. The people who actually govern who will come in, you better take the ratio. It has happened."
Reflecting on his career, the Chameli actor shared that this pattern had persisted, as he was never the actor who drove audiences to theaters. Rahul Bose also added that he sees the film industry as “fair” when it comes to pay, arguing that earnings are directly tied to an actor’s box office appeal. Having produced two films himself, he admitted that even he wouldn’t have paid himself more than what he received.
Dismissing the debate on gender pay disparity, he stated that the system is straightforward, if an actor brings in revenue, they earn more; if not, their paycheck reflects it.
Meanwhile, on the work front, Kareena Kapoor Khan was last seen in Singham Again, sharing the screen with Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Deepika Padukone, Tiger Shroff, and Arjun Kapoor. While she hasn’t officially announced her next project, Pinkvilla exclusively reported that she has signed a highly ambitious film, touted as one of the biggest ventures in Indian cinema.
We also shared that the film is slated for a 2026 release and will showcase Kareena in a role 'that she has not done to date'. Apart from this, the project is helmed by a renowned and bankable filmmaker, adding to the anticipation surrounding it.
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