One of the most popular names on the small screen, Ankita Lokhande Jain started her career with the show Pavitra Rishta. A few years into acting, she became a force to reckon with, with many even labelling her as one of the highest-paid actors on television. Even now, she’s hailed as one of the top five highest-paid actors. But for Ankita, big money has never been a dream she chased.
In fact, in an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, she reveals that money still isn’t her primary goal and that she’s ready to do projects she believes in without any remuneration. “For me, money has always been secondary. The character I’m playing is the most important thing. Even now, I don’t run after money. I always go after the project. I’m ready to do films and shows for free,” she says.
However, she has no qualms in stating that women shouldn’t be apologetic about demanding a larger share of the pie. “Having said that, I believe that you need to ask for what you want. And women, particularly, should ask for what they deserve,” asserts the Baaghi 3 and Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi actor.
Television is infamous for its excruciating working hours with actors having no work-life balance. Though not much may have changed from the time she had started, Ankita lauds producers for improving the pay scale, particularly for female actors. “Of course, the situation is way better for women on television today. My remuneration improved because I was on television and television is all about women-led stories and women’s power. I don’t know about the film industry but I’m definite about television when it comes to this aspect,” she remarks.
And she believes that a changed approach is helping the younger actors of today. “And that’s helping a lot of women who are now working on television. The industry has grown so much over the years. When I started working on Pavitra Rishta, I was earning Rs 2000 a day. From there, my growth has been steady,” says the 39-year-old.
Currently, she’s awaiting the theatrical release of her upcoming film Swatantra Veer Savarkar. The film is slated to release on March 22. It sees her playing Yamunabai, the wife of politician, activist, and writer Veer Savarkar.
Speaking about how she landed the part, she tells us, “This film is produced by one of my very good friends, Sandeep Ssingh (producer). He was very keen on me doing this character. When he came to me with the offer, I thought, why not? I’ve always been the girl who wants to grab opportunities to play women who’re empowered and this is one such part. I wanted to play this beautiful character because it was a challenge and risk for me. I’m so glad that I did it.”
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