UNPAID SALARIES, DIRTY SETS, HARASSMENT AND THREATS: NOT ALL IS WELL WITH INDIAN TELEVISION INDUSTRY
TV actors open up on working conditions on sets in India. (Photos: Instagram)
It is a story that actor-turned-politician Smriti Irani has recounted many times. While working on the show that brought her into prominence, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, she suffered a miscarriage and had to rush to the hospital. That's when she got a call from the production house, Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji, to come in the next day. “The next day, I took all my medical papers to Ekta to tell her it is not a drama. She got uncomfortable and told me not to show the papers," Smriti said.
It has been decades since the incident happened but the TV industry is yet to rid itself of issues regarding long work hours, impossible demands, hygiene and safety, delays in payments, and toxicity on the sets. The recent Krishna Mukherjee case again highlighted the problems as the actress of Dangal TV show Shubh Shagun accused its producer, Kundan Singh, of not clearing her dues and the team locking her in her make-up room when she protested.
These are hardly one-off cases. In 2016, actress Shilpa Shinde quit Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai after disagreements with the producers; she even accused them of mentally torturing her. Last year, Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal accused Asit Modi and the Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah executive producer Sohail Ramani of mental harassment and of not clearing her dues. TV actors often speak about pulling shifts that can stretch from 18 to 20 hours, working while ill, getting food that is inedible, dirty washrooms and often going without breaks for long durations. They also complain about waiting for long to get payments, and in many cases, not getting them at all.
'Long working hours, no guarantee of payment'
Krishna Mukherjee recently spoke about how they were asked to work for long hours on Shubh Shagun on the promise that they will get their delayed salary, but in vain. "We were asked to shoot for extra time every other day and when we asked for our cheques, the production people would say if we made too much fuss, they would not pay us." Krishna even recalled how the channel did not help them. "Our show went off air in October 2022. We approached the channel after that, but no help was forthcoming," she says.
Last year, Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal and Sailesh Lodha shared that the Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah producers refused to clear their dues, leading to actors taking drastic measures.
Actor Ali Merchant faced a similar situation as his payment was held up for months. "I left the TV industry because of payment issues. Even after approaching CINTAA (Cine and TV Artistes Association), I had to struggle to settle my dues. Now, with my comeback, I'm facing payment delays from my last show, despite continuous follow-ups from my team. It's challenging to get payments even from reputed production houses, and they often use their influence to boycott those who demand timely payments. It is much tougher for younger actors."
Ali also goes on to share that this delay in payment once drove him to contemplate taking the extreme step. "I faced such extreme delays in payments that it drove me to contemplate suicide. TV acting was my sole income, and when payments were delayed for 6-9 months or more, with threats of no future work, it took a severe toll on me. There's a severe lack of professionalism in the Indian TV industry, and if an actor insists on professionalism, they're labeled as problematic by producers. It's a very challenging situation," he says.
Commenting on payment issues from production houses, actress Vahbiz Dorabjee who has starred in shows like Pyaar Ki Ek Kahaani and Bahu Hamari Rajnikanth, says, "Many of my friends have gone through it, and it's disheartening. They work hard, only to have producers ask them to reduce their prices at the last minute, citing losses. Actors give their all during shoots, often under contracts spanning 90 days. We trust them and fulfill our commitments, only to be bargained with later."
TV producers blame show economics
While TV actors are hamstrung by these practices, producers blame how the economics of running a TV show have changed over the years. Explaining the financial constraints that producers are facing, JD Majethia says, "A producer takes a studio on lease depending on multiple aspects, but the economic conditions have made things difficult today. Earlier everyone would make their own sets as per requirement, but now broadcasters often hold on to a few sets and give them to the producers for their new shows. So many times choosing the studio is beyond a producer's control. Also, studio rents have become prohibitive. Often, we have to shell out extra for make-up rooms as they assign only four or five. In such a situation, there is little we can do in terms of facilities we can offer on sets. Even then, most producers try and offer the best possible working conditions to artistes and unit members."
Dirty toilets, bad food
A few years back, after actor Divyanka Tripathi complained about a bug-infested sofa in her dressing room, she was tagged as 'arrogant'. In 2023, Jennifer Mistry also raised the issue of dirty toilets for women on the Taarak Mehta sets. Many times actors are not even given proper food despite them spending 12 to 14 hours on a TV set.
Vahbiz Dorabjee also comments on the hygiene aspect on a TV set, "They should provide better rooms and bathrooms, considering we spend 16-18 hours a day on set. The lack of proper bathrooms and nutritious food has led to various health issues. Not having access to basic necessities like a proper bathroom has made it difficult to focus on work. It's truly inhuman."
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A post shared by Krishna Mukherjee (@krishna_mukherjee786)
Safety issues faced by women on sets
Recently, Krishna shared how she was locked in a room twice by the show's production team. Jennifer had also opened up about how she was barred from getting out from the Taarak Mehta set and the gates were locked. So what are TV producers doing when it comes to safety issues for actresses? Talking about her concern, Vahbiz says, "Certainly, safety should always come first. Unfortunately, I've noticed a lack of adequate precautions on many TV sets. In particular, I believe that ensuring the safety of female actors should be a top priority."
Krishna had also revealed how she faced an unpleasant experience on set, "When they locked me, Pearl Grey’s assistant Asma held my hand and said I will not shoot, but they said, ‘Aise kaise shoot nahi karegi, kapde badal aur shoot kar. Yeh yahan se jaaegi nahi.' They threatened me saying that they would see how my car left the premises."
Addressing concerns related to safety, producer Sandiip Sikcand says, "Every producer and production house I have worked with has been very accommodating of their actors' needs. If there is harassment on any level, it should definitely be addressed."
JD Majethia also gives his take on hygiene and safety issues, "Hygiene and safety are paramount. It is also up to you how you use the set. The most worrisome condition for studio owners and producers is safety and every producer along with their team on the floor must be very careful."
Benaifer also adds, "The set has to be comfortable in the sense that the dressing rooms have to be big enough, they have to be clean. Actors sometimes get their own microwave and TV since they spend a lot of time on set. Everything is a give and take. But most important is the safety where emergency medical facilities have to be there."
Lack of redressal mechanism
With so many issues persistent on TV sets, cine and TV artistes association CINTAA has not been able to help Krishna Mukherjee with her case. As far as payment issues are concerned, Vahbiz shares, "Measures need to be taken to address these issues. We place trust in producers when we commit to shooting, often with payment expected after 90 days of telecast. It's deeply unfair and unacceptable when producers claim losses after the work has been completed. I believe there should be strong contracts from both sides, not just from the producers. Organizations like CINTAA should step in to support actors in such situations."
Ali Merchant adds, "Payments should be part of a direct contract with the channel, not just with the production house. This ensures actors are paid promptly."
To give a solution to this TV actors vs producers debate, JD Majethia shares, "If this is the complaint the producer must address it. The production team has to make sure that everyone on the set is taken care of."
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A post shared by Sandiip Sikcand (@sandiipsikcand)
Sandiip Sikcand opines, "Every actor has the right to discuss the problem with the producer, and I am sure if the request is legit, the producer will bend backward to make it happen. A producer and actor have to work in sync. Even in my current shows -- be it Aboli or the one due to release soon -- I have made sure all my actors have my number and they are free to call me anytime for any discomfort they face, this is a rule I make on my sets."
Though the issues TV actors face are serious ones, there are always two sides to any story. Producers also complain about facing indiscipline from actors. Recently, producer Rajan Shahi ousted actor Shehzada Dhami from Yeh Rishta Kya Kehata Hai due to unprofessional behavior. However, producers hit back only in extreme situations, amid reports of actors reporting late for work -- often by hours, some even turning up drunk, while a few not turning up at all, often adding exponentially to their production costs.
So, why don't producers ever speak about the troubles they face from actors?
When we asked other producers, why don't they ever bring their problems with actors to public platforms, producer JD Majethia opined, "A producer's job is problem-solving, they have 50 challenges to face in a day, so he or she will not be vocal about a small or a medium problem in the media. Major individual Producers are not usually on social media platforms and they know that one or two actors are a small part of that huge group. So if one actor is giving them trouble they will try to address it at a personal level, they will not come out in the open and speak unless the actor has scaled it so big to a level that the producer needs to address it in media itself."
JD continues, "With actors, it is like if their problem is not solved they will go to the media or use social media. But it is all situational and case-specific. Larger issues like harassment on a set must be addressed by the production team, and brought to the notice of the concerned authorities in writing so that action can be taken. Only when something goes beyond limits and it starts affecting the product then a producer will have to go to any extent to bring things under control. Producers also think about the bigger picture, if they go and speak loosely about an actor in the media, the industry will start judging the actors and it will hamper them from getting work. There can be multiple impacts on their careers. So we have to act maturely and wisely using our experience. We just cannot keep going to the media for every little thing."
Producer Sandiip Sikcand shares, "I have no idea why a producer does not speak. I feel producers should start talking about the actors if they are troublemakers. I think it should be a two-way street. We as makers face issues too like actors not adhering to call times, canceling last minute, and not turning up to shoot on time... a lot of actors do this a lot of times and I have worked with a few in the past. If I were to be put in an awkward situation by an actor I would be the first to speak up."
Benaifer Kohli on working conditions on TV sets (Photo: PR Handout)
Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai producer Benaifer Kohli also shares, "Producers do speak about the problems they face from an actor and it is so very obvious in the industry when you see that those actors are never repeated. In this industry only goodwill and professionalism work."
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2024-05-08T06:53:45Z dg43tfdfdgfd