EXCLUSIVE! Equality doesn’t happen in one day, says Kaveri Priyam

After having done some of the memorable roles in TV shows like lsquoZiddi DilMaane Narsquo and lsquoYeh Rishtey Hai Pyaar Kersquo the extremely softspoken Kaveri Priyam has definitely given the audiences reasons to get hooked into these showsOn the occasion of lsquoWomens Equality Dayrsquo Satish Sundaresan of MidDay met up with Kaveri Priyam for an exclusive interview wherein she spoke about her take on the importance of the day and what does the day mean to her Most importantly she confidently addressed the eternally debatable issue of pay parityKaveri to start with today is being celebrated as lsquoWomens Equality Dayrsquo across the globe Thatrsquos why lets start this interview by asking you as to how do you think people are perceiving women centric roles in the recent times In your opinion do you think that the perception about the women centricity has changed in the recent times If yes then can you kindly elaborate about what are the changes that you have seen and what are the changes that you wish to see in this arena I think that in the present times people are receiving and perceiving the women centric roles very openly and definitely with a positive mind The best example in todayrsquos times is that of the famous TV serial lsquoAnupamarsquo The most awesome part about the show is that it has not been written in a way that it portrays a particular woman who has to be eternally lsquomahaanrsquo and someone who sacrifices relentlessly I am glad that the times have changed and that the people are accepting a woman as a normal human being along with her flaws View this post on InstagramA post shared by Kavveri Priiyam kaveripriyam_officialThe entertainment industry is known for its pay parity pay gap Actresses like Taapsee Pannu and Samantha Ruth Prabhu have confessed about how low they are paid as compared to the male actors Whatrsquos your take on thatThe pay parity has existed not just in our industry but almost everywhere since time immemorial Because for whatever reasons we thought that the woman are home makers and thatrsquos why maybe not at par with a man when it comes to tasks which can be done lsquoby men onlyrsquo I think that the women across the globe have proved this absolutely wrong and have been constantly proving that there is no job which a woman cannot do And that is the reason which I feel why the pay parity shouldnrsquot exist at all In fact the payments should be made on the basis of onersquos experience and talent and definitely not genderView this post on InstagramA post shared by Kavveri Priiyam kaveripriyam_officialDo you think that its about time that we bring about equality between both men and womenI am someone who absolutely believes in equality I am ok with not giving women special favours buthellip I want equality especially when there is a talk about pay gap and for no reason at all What I fail to understand is that why people still treat men superior to women when it is exactly the opposite Even if itrsquos not the opposite I feel that there has to be equality which is everyonersquos basic rightAlso Read Ranbir enjoys a meal off a banana leaf with Rajamouli NagarjunaOn a personal level what does lsquoWomenrsquos Equalityrsquo mean to youOn a very personal level the environment in which I have been brought up has been extremely lsquoequalrsquo My mother has treated me equally and totally at par with my brother There had and has never been any sort of discrimination between me and my brother I expect this kind of upbringing to be a household thing Let me also add that I have also seen my father doing household work and my mother helping my father in his professional works I feel that its very important to maintain the peace and an equal type of environment which will be possible only when men and women are treated equallyView this post on InstagramA post shared by aman nagoshe amannagosheToday the women are working shoulder to shoulder with men Do you think that the concept of womenrsquos equality has been brought at the workplace or is it still pendingOn a very basic level the seed of equality should be sown in childhood itself Itrsquos the environment in which the children are being brought which plays a vital role in the life of any individual I also understand that equality doesnrsquot happen in one day and that itrsquos a process which has to be practiced from day one Equality can only happen when it is taught across school level itself so that the future generation will surely see any man and woman at par with each otherView this post on InstagramA post shared by Kavveri Priiyam kaveripriyam_officialIn your career spanning considerable years in the industry how have you addressed gender equalityOf course I have I have addressed the issue by following that superiority is not based on gender at all It is based on onersquos experience talent and also the value that one adds to any product Whenever I see any kind of disparity happening I make sure that I speak up and talk about it so that I can resolve the issue then and there rather than keeping mum and letting people take me for granted This is what I have been doing and advocating from my end as far as equality is concernedView this post on InstagramA post shared by Kavveri Priiyam kaveripriyam_officialWhat in your opinion is the biggest obstacle that comes in the way of womenrsquos equality in todayrsquos competitive worldAs far as the competitive world is involved I think that not being given an lsquoequal opportunityrsquo is one of the major factors where the inequality creeps in This only leads to the equality being hampered In my opinion lsquoequal opportunityrsquo is a basic human right and everybody deserves it irrespective of a man or a woman I also feel that the entire society should be very supportive and not oppose the fact that woman can also hold places of extreme importance just like any man We have had many women at higher positions since time immemorial So why not follow the trend and keep working towards building the society without any kind of discriminationView this post on InstagramA post shared by Kavveri Priiyam kaveripriyam_officialPlease name the woman in your life who has inspired you to make the person that you are todayApart from all the amazing women I have met and will continue to meet in my life my mother will always remain the person who has always inspired me and has taught me to believe in myself and to believe in the fact that women are no less than men She also taught me to speak about onersquos rights and the things that one deserves in life assertivelyPLAY QUIZ How well do you know Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone