Industry Bandh: Actors struggling to cope with burdened work schedule!

This is not the first time that an industry strike has acted as a spoiler for the television industry.

With the FWICE (Federation Of Western India Cine Employees) calling for an indefinite strike from May 6 after the producers' body refusing to sign an MoU asking for a considerable hike in the pay structures of junior artistes, spotboys and middle and lower-level workers on TV show sets, a lot of actors are being made to shoot until wee hours.

Actors are finding it strenuous to cope with the bank of episodes the producers intend to make before the strike to avoid hassles in the telecast of episodes scheduled to go on-air. Also, if the strike does happen, the TV industry will suffer huge losses running into crores.

In continuation to that, actors speak up on how they are coping up with their routine these days.

Aneri Vajani currently seen in Nisha Aur Uske Cousins:

It is exhausting to shoot till late night. The only thing which keeps me going is my mother's food and my co-actors who are very supportive. Since we all are young, we happen to share a lot of time with each other. In that way I do not realize how time passes and feel less stressed.

Vibha Anand currently seen in Kaisi Yeh Yaariyan:

We are shooting for extra hours at night to make a bank. I am not comfortable shooting at night and completing my sleep during the day. Infact, we all feel dull and uneasy but we have to wrap up the episodes which are scheduled to telecast on the days the production house has decided.

Mohammad Nazim currently seen in Saath Nibhana Saathiya:

Like others, we too are shooting for long hours to maintain a bank. Personally, it is very exhausting the travel time from my set to home takes one and a half hour. After that I hit the gym, eat dinner and then sleep only to wake up early in the morning to shoot. But such is an actor's life...if I am required to dodge my routine, I will have to!

Pooja Sharma currently seen in Tu Mera Hero:

We are not shooting overtime but we are shooting in two to three units. The shifting of locations makes things a little difficult for us in terms of carrying our costumes and other requirements from one unit to another. Apart from this, things are pretty stable on our set. Today, we have been told that we would be working for a few more hours than our usual time.

Sai Deodhar currently seen in Udann:

We shoot during the permitted work hours but we do not have a bank as our scheduled telecast is six days a week. If the strike happens we might face an issue as we do not have a bank of episodes. Unrelatedly speaking with regards to the reason behind the strike, I feel workers like the lightmen and cameramen work extremely hard where they have to wait after shoot to load all their equipments unlike us actors where we pack up immediately and go home. I feel their strike stands genuine.