Posted:
Long working hours and
working without any
breaks - that's the price actors
of daily soaps on Indian
television pay for their fame.
Vivian DSena's ouster from
Madhubala...Ek Ishq Ek Junoon
for taking too many offs
reinforces the industry's
working style. The tussle
between actors and producers
over leaves is an ongoing one,
and while a few actors make
sure that their contracts have
the clause for a weekly off,
others don't enjoy the privilege.
No provision for leaves, we are
not a corporate "We have 5 days
telecast per week, that means 22
episodes a month. That leaves
actors with little scope to take
weekly offs," says producer Yash
Patnaik, who is presently
producing shows like Junoon
and Veer Ki Ardaas Veera. He
adds, "Most shows today are
dependent only on the leads and
eventually, the main lead is
required to work everyday in a
month. The audience has
become quite clever and doesn't
accept tracks without main leads
in the frame. So, even though
there is a provision of one
weekly off for the actors, the
leads can't afford to take them
because of the busy schedule."
Agreeing that weekly offs being
impossible for the leads,
producer Manish R Goswami
says, "A lead actor in a TV show
today is required to work 30
days. It is impossible to work
without a lead in the frame. It's
been happening for more than a
decade now, but of late, actors
have started asking for weekly
offs. We are not corporate
houses that we will give leaves
as and when required. Working
in a daily soap is a maddening
affair. Here storylines change on
a daily basis, according to TRPs."
Chutti loge, toh chutti ho
jayegi! So, if the demands of the
job are clear from the word go,
why do actors insist on taking
offs? "Actors don't demand
weekly offs initially, their only
focus is on the serial. But when
they become 'stars', and the
show is a hit, they start
throwing tantrums, without
realizing that they are
dispensable to the show," says
Saurabh Tewari, producer of
Madhubala..., explaining why he
had to fire Vivian from the job, "I
had a tough time shooting with
Vivian as he used to go on 6
days' leave in month, and that
too at a stretch. A TV actor can't
do that. Even the parallel story
lines that I created failed!
Producers agree that
newcomers are willing to go the
extra mile to make their mark in
the industry. "In the beginning,
every newcomer wants to work
day and night to earn name,
fame and money. But as soon as
the show becomes a hit, their
attitude changes and the
tantrums come. It happens with
most of the leads these days,"
avers Yash.
Solution A: Live on the sets But
what of contracts that clearly say
the actor will get one day off
every week? "Whatever is there
in the contract doesn't translate
into reality," says Sana Sheikh,
who is playing the lead in
Gustakh Dil, "There are no leaves
for the protagonists of a show."
Sana adds, "I have done
character roles in shows like
Pratigya and Sasural Simar Ka,
where there was no problem of
leaves as I was not required in
every storyline. But when I was
offered the lead role, I prepared
myself to work without leaves. I
mean I take naps on the sets, if I
am unwell, the doctor is called
on the sets, if I am too tired, I
am allowed to shoot for lesser
scenes and take help of body
doubles, but I have to come
everyday. And I am okay with
that. This is the price I am
paying for the name and fame
that I get from the serial."
Actors like Sana have created a
room for themselves on the sets.
"I have a room for myself on the
sets, I call my friends and
relatives to meet me in between
the shots. I sleep in that room
whenever I have time. I will
continue to do that till I become
as famous as Ram Kapoor and
Sakshi Tanwar, where I only
work 15 days a month," she
says.
Solution B: Work with a
definite story list Apart from the
A-listers on TV, like Ram Kapoor
and Sakshi Tanwar, there are a
handful of actors who enjoy the
luxury of weekly offs. Like Iqbal
Khan from Tumhari Pakhi.
"Though our show is a daily
soap, it has a definite story with
an ending. And we work hard to
create a bank of episodes. So,
taking leaves is not a problem
for any of the actors on the sets,
even though there are no
parallel tracks in the serial and
the leads are required in every
screenplay," he explains.
I have never taken excessive
leaves: Vivian Dsena
About his alleged tantrums,
Vivian D'Sena says, "Some people
like me so much that they
wanted me to sit at home and
not play RK and hence, the
rumours of me throwing
tantrums. Had that been so, I
wouldn't have been shooting 12
hours a day, 26 days a month.
Someone snooty will shoot five
hours and will give only 10 days
to the show. I have never taken
excessive leaves as
working without any
breaks - that's the price actors
of daily soaps on Indian
television pay for their fame.
Vivian DSena's ouster from
Madhubala...Ek Ishq Ek Junoon
for taking too many offs
reinforces the industry's
working style. The tussle
between actors and producers
over leaves is an ongoing one,
and while a few actors make
sure that their contracts have
the clause for a weekly off,
others don't enjoy the privilege.
No provision for leaves, we are
not a corporate "We have 5 days
telecast per week, that means 22
episodes a month. That leaves
actors with little scope to take
weekly offs," says producer Yash
Patnaik, who is presently
producing shows like Junoon
and Veer Ki Ardaas Veera. He
adds, "Most shows today are
dependent only on the leads and
eventually, the main lead is
required to work everyday in a
month. The audience has
become quite clever and doesn't
accept tracks without main leads
in the frame. So, even though
there is a provision of one
weekly off for the actors, the
leads can't afford to take them
because of the busy schedule."
Agreeing that weekly offs being
impossible for the leads,
producer Manish R Goswami
says, "A lead actor in a TV show
today is required to work 30
days. It is impossible to work
without a lead in the frame. It's
been happening for more than a
decade now, but of late, actors
have started asking for weekly
offs. We are not corporate
houses that we will give leaves
as and when required. Working
in a daily soap is a maddening
affair. Here storylines change on
a daily basis, according to TRPs."
Chutti loge, toh chutti ho
jayegi! So, if the demands of the
job are clear from the word go,
why do actors insist on taking
offs? "Actors don't demand
weekly offs initially, their only
focus is on the serial. But when
they become 'stars', and the
show is a hit, they start
throwing tantrums, without
realizing that they are
dispensable to the show," says
Saurabh Tewari, producer of
Madhubala..., explaining why he
had to fire Vivian from the job, "I
had a tough time shooting with
Vivian as he used to go on 6
days' leave in month, and that
too at a stretch. A TV actor can't
do that. Even the parallel story
lines that I created failed!
Producers agree that
newcomers are willing to go the
extra mile to make their mark in
the industry. "In the beginning,
every newcomer wants to work
day and night to earn name,
fame and money. But as soon as
the show becomes a hit, their
attitude changes and the
tantrums come. It happens with
most of the leads these days,"
avers Yash.
Solution A: Live on the sets But
what of contracts that clearly say
the actor will get one day off
every week? "Whatever is there
in the contract doesn't translate
into reality," says Sana Sheikh,
who is playing the lead in
Gustakh Dil, "There are no leaves
for the protagonists of a show."
Sana adds, "I have done
character roles in shows like
Pratigya and Sasural Simar Ka,
where there was no problem of
leaves as I was not required in
every storyline. But when I was
offered the lead role, I prepared
myself to work without leaves. I
mean I take naps on the sets, if I
am unwell, the doctor is called
on the sets, if I am too tired, I
am allowed to shoot for lesser
scenes and take help of body
doubles, but I have to come
everyday. And I am okay with
that. This is the price I am
paying for the name and fame
that I get from the serial."
Actors like Sana have created a
room for themselves on the sets.
"I have a room for myself on the
sets, I call my friends and
relatives to meet me in between
the shots. I sleep in that room
whenever I have time. I will
continue to do that till I become
as famous as Ram Kapoor and
Sakshi Tanwar, where I only
work 15 days a month," she
says.
Solution B: Work with a
definite story list Apart from the
A-listers on TV, like Ram Kapoor
and Sakshi Tanwar, there are a
handful of actors who enjoy the
luxury of weekly offs. Like Iqbal
Khan from Tumhari Pakhi.
"Though our show is a daily
soap, it has a definite story with
an ending. And we work hard to
create a bank of episodes. So,
taking leaves is not a problem
for any of the actors on the sets,
even though there are no
parallel tracks in the serial and
the leads are required in every
screenplay," he explains.
I have never taken excessive
leaves: Vivian Dsena
About his alleged tantrums,
Vivian D'Sena says, "Some people
like me so much that they
wanted me to sit at home and
not play RK and hence, the
rumours of me throwing
tantrums. Had that been so, I
wouldn't have been shooting 12
hours a day, 26 days a month.
Someone snooty will shoot five
hours and will give only 10 days
to the show. I have never taken
excessive leaves as
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