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Regional Bias in Bollywood: Casting Barriers for Marathis/Gujaratis and the South Indian Pay Gap

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Bollywood gossip Regional Bollywood:

Regional bias in Bollywood is getting social-media attention: casting chatter centers on Marathis and Gujaratis, while a separate South Indian pay debate roils fans, and pan-India releases hint at new, language‑bridging opportunities.

Casting bias in Bollywood: Marathis & Gujaratis A post highlights discrimination against Marathis and Gujaratis in Bollywood, with commenters lamenting that Gujarati or Marathi characters are rarely played by Gujaratis or Marathis [1]. One observer even says it’s sad and true that ethnicity seems to lock certain doors. In another note, Riteish Deshmukh’s Marathi roots fuel talk that a pan-India project can bend language expectations; the project is discussed as potentially releasing in multiple languages [3].

South Indian pay gap debate among actresses Discussions center on who earns the most in South Indian cinema. The thread tosses around names like Manju Warrior and a lineup including Rashmika, Nayanthara, Trisha, Samantha, Anushka, and Deepika as top earners, with figures floated from about 4cr to 30cr for certain projects like Lokah [2]. The talk also notes that Malayalam budgets are tighter, so stars there earn less than marquee names such as Prabhas, Allu Arjun, Shah Rukh Khan (often shortened as Shahruk Khan in chatter), Rajinikanth, and Yash. The thread even contrasts salaries on big films like Pushpa with Malayalam-scale pay [2].

Pan-India releases signal shifting opportunities The chatter flags that multi-language, pan-India releases are a sign of changing opportunities, especially around historic subjects where Riteish Deshmukh’s casting could tap Maharashtra and beyond. This aligns with talks that projects positioned as pan-India may attract diverse audiences across languages [3].

Closing thought: as debates linger, Bollywood’s regional boundaries appear to be loosening—opportunity may soon flow across more languages and markets.

References

[1]
Reddit

Discrimination Against Marathis & Gujratis In Bollywood? Saw this comment recently and had to post

Discusses ethnicity-based casting bias against Marathis and Gujaratis in Bollywood; sadness at denial and plea for opportunities.

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[2]
Reddit

Is Manju warrior highest paid female actor in South India?

Discusses who earns most among South Indian actresses; compares Manju Warrier, Rashmika, Trisha, Nayantara, Anushka, and Deepika with Malayalam pay.

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[3]
Reddit

Riteish Deshmukh's Raja Shivaji: Will it be a Box Office Hit?

Debate on Riteish Deshmukh as Raja Shivaji, potential Maharashtra blockbuster, multi-language pan-India release, box-office prospects, role fit, and audience reaction.

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