Suzanne Bernert walks out of Jhansi Ki Rani

f Zee and Innovative 9.

Says Suzanne, "I resigned two weeks ago. A lot of things frustrated me but what pushed me over the edge was the fact that even after I dubbed for my character, my efforts were sidelined and someone else gave the voiceover for my character! And when some of the media caught air of it and questioned me, I did the right thing to do by asking them to talk to the creatives for an answer. But the creatives told the media that it was my voice!"

What Suzanne thought would be an enjoyable working experience turned out to be a disaster. She says, "I had done a tele-film in the same time era for DD and loved it. The look test in July for Jhansi…gave me hope. The dress in which I auditioned was lovely and the wig just needed slight fix-up (there were holes in the wig and the nylon yellow hair looked like hay). But when the time of actual outdoor shoot came it was a tragedy. The dress had shrunk due to improper treatment, the zipper broke and my whole back was exposed. The wig was still the same disaster. Even then, I was okay and came up with the idea to cover the rip from my neck to under my waistline with a shawl. Just so you know it was 40 degrees outdoor and there I was covered from head to toe with nylon wig, hat (too small), closed shoes, gloves etc."

Suzanne continues, "I am a professional and did not take things too my heart…until I reached the location and people starting ripping and poking at me. I told my security problems but they did not believe me and did not even let me bring down my spot boy who could have helped in the matter. Second day the dress was repaired but the security issue wasn't addressed. Third day they finally called the police who escorted me back and forth from the van to location."

The German actress also talks of the shoddy accommodation.  She says, "Rooms were at first good, then shifted to bad on the second day when I had a break in at my room at 3am! I screamed so loud that the person disappeared. I absolutely refused on third day to shift to the small town where they'd arranged for a third grade accommodation."

Suzanne pities some junior artists who are being treated like cattle. She says, "Eight people are put up in one room where make up is also done. The food is not at all eatable. Not for foreigners, not for any human being!"

In the end Suzanne says something that is sure to make the czarina of tellydom Ekta Kapoor happy. "I have worked with Balaji and compared to this they are organized like the army," she signs off.

Reporter and Author: Susan Jose