Veteran actor Zeenat Aman has been vocal about her journey in the Hindi film industry and how far things have changed in the last few decades. She had previously pointed out how the ‘gender pay gap’ still remained the same. At The Hollywood Reporter India’s Women In Entertainment awards ceremony, Zeenat addressed the issue once again and urged women to ‘push’ for pay parity. (Also read: Zeenat Aman recalls pay disparity between her and male co-stars: ‘It was so vast it was laughable’)

What Zeenat said

Zeenat was presented the Iconic Artist award at the ceremony by actor Sushmita Sen. On stage, she thanked the audience for the standing ovation and expressed gratitude for the recognition. In her speech, she said, “I know women in entertainment are being celebrated. But I think it is important to remember that all women must be celebrated. Not just women in entertainment.”

‘I remember more than 50 years ago…’

She went on to add, “It is an illustrious gathering. I remember more than 50 years ago, I would be the only woman on set. What is so heartening to see now is that now in every sphere of filmmaking there are women who have created their own space. In the corporate world this is something that I am really proud of. But I do have something to say. Please, please push for pay parity. From my perspective you have come a long way, baby! So cheers to that, thank you.”

On the work front, Zeenat will be seen next in the Netflix series The Royals. The show, which will release later this year, also stars Ishan Khatter and Bhumi Pednekar. She also has a role in the film Bun Tikki, which is directed by Faraz Arif Ansari. The film also stars Shabana Azmi and Abhay Deol.