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Serial woes
For all their star status, TV actors work in inhuman conditions
By Harshikaa Udasi
Hiten Tejwani is a veteran Balaji actor. With Kutumb, Kusum, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kya Hadsaa Kya Haqeeqat, Kavyanjali and now Kasauti Zindagi Kay, Hiten is known as Ekta Kapoor's blue-eyed boy. Even with his star status, the actor admits that he is on call 30 days a month, 16 hours a day.
In fact, till a month back, Hiten was working for 20-22 hours a day to have enough episodes of TRP-grabber Kasauti in the bank. "I have no complaints. It does get tiring at times, but when you are one of the key characters in the show, you can't help it," he says.
The television industry is worth Rs 139 billion, and the major production houses are publicly-listed companies, but still systematic employee-schedules are not happening. With at least 12 competing general entertainment channels, television artists and technicians end up working on back-to-back shifts as long as 48 hours. This is the result of being signed on for multiple shows, most often with the same production house. Worse still, in a highly competitive environment, not many complain as the lure of overnight fame and money is very high.
The consequences are nothing short of inhuman. In April, Shubhangi Atre, lead actor of Kasturi, Balaji's prime-time soap, fainted on the sets due to exhaustion. Actor Sunny, who played Saksham in Kasauti Zindagi Kay, has fainted more than once after having worked for long hours. Sampada Vaze says she got just one day off when she was suffering from chicken pox, and a generous week off for her wedding.
One reason why actors slog for hours without complaining is the increasing competition between veterans and the new faces. The money (some earn Rs 20,000 an episode), too, and the popularity are even more alluring. Negligence of health is taking a heavy toll on the actors. Says Rajshri Thakur, who plays the lead role in Saat Phere: "You have to be present in almost every shot. Sometimes the screenplay is not with you till the last minute. So the producer has no option but to extend the shooting hours." Rajshri works by a strict 13-hour schedule for 20 days a month and a flexi-timing for five days, "unless there is a crisis".
Crisis situations are not uncommon, and the channels are to be blamed for their flawed planning. Episode banks are not created well in advance. In some cases, the episode you are going to watch on TV tonight might have been canned a day before. Dheeraj Kumar of Creative Eye produces about five hours of programming a week, including Ghar Ki Lakshmi-Betiyaan and Maayka for Zee TV. "We try to follow a corporate style of functioning, but are several times pushed into uncontrollable situations. When I made the Om Namah Shivay, we researched for nine years. Now this is laughable; if we manage to get a 30-day lead time we are blessed," says Dheeraj.
With inadequate lead-time, television channels are unwilling to give any advance to production houses. Actually, payments are often made three months after telecast. Producers are wary about creating a large bank since the channel has the last say in either continuing a show or terminating it on the basis of TRPs.
Anuj Saxena, actor and CEO of Maverick Productions, says for Kusum he sometimes used to work 48 hours non-stop. "I remember a time when I was travelling up and down the country to complete the episodes. It was bad, but we all managed to live through it. As a producer now, I am trying to change the situation but it's not easy. It's like the 'rot has set in'. The production house cannot take the blame alone. Often, the script is approved only in the last minute by the channel," he says.
Lalit Pathak, Kasauti's executive producer, says that they try not to trouble the lead actors since they have to perform in almost every scene. The director and the cameraman are always swift in completing their job, but the new actors ask for retakes. This is once reason for stretching the schedules. "We ensure they get their break when a scene does not involve them and if they are sick we either take a body double to do the scene or change the track to eliminate the character from the next few episodes," he says.
When Rajshri suffered from dengue last December, her character was sent off to a friend's place for some episodes in the middle of an important sub-plot. Rajshri got 10 days leave. But other actors may not be that fortunate. Shubhangi, for instance, had to resume work-an ambulance was on standby on the sets for her. Last year Sachin Shroff had to be wheeled out of the sets to a hospital when he had a spell of dizziness on the sets of Sindoor.
Hiten says that besides exhaustion, a poor diet leads to ill-health. "The younger actors do not take care of their diet. One needs to take lot of liquids, juices or water, all day and avoid oily food. That's what I do. Even if I get a small break, I will have my lunch."
Actor Harsh Chaya, who has been working for the last eight years, says that it is the bargaining power of the artists that decide the number of working hours. "If you are new in the business, you have to take shit. When I joined television, I opened my mouth once too often and was kicked out of a couple of shows. Ultimately I feel the onus is with the channels. They work exactly like landlords," he says.
The working conditions too have become a huge problem for artists. Harsh says that even asking for basic amenities is looked at as throwing a tantrum. "Sometimes, 80 people use a 3x3 ft toilet. A 6x6 ft room holds 12 actors. Nobody speaks up because they don't have the guts. They don't want to be seen as the nakhrewala," he says.
People talk discreetly about how defunct factory units in Mumbai's suburbs have been converted into shooting studios, with toilets made into make-up rooms. Complaints abound about how breaks are cancelled if the schedule is stretched to accommodate extra scenes.
Nobody dares to question the producers. "There are some producers who will book you for a certain sum for 15 days and shoot only for six days. One is not supposed to question the loss of eight days, you have to remain at their beck and call," says Harsh.
It may be improbable at the moment, but actors and producers feel that planning is the key. Says Creative Eye's Dheeraj: "Channels need to understand that ultimately we are dealing with humans. There has to be a set of rules. We should have better management of talent pools."
Hiten believes better management will happen as the industry evolves, Now major film production houses like Yashraj, Vishesh Films, AB Corp Ltd, and Mukta Arts are getting into television.
Harsh, though, has a different take: "If seven major producers get together, there will be no arm-twisting from the channels, if that is the sole reason for pressuring artists. We in television are worse than prostitutes; anything goes as long as the money is coming in."
- (12-08-2007)
For all their star status, TV actors work in inhuman conditions
By Harshikaa Udasi
Hiten Tejwani is a veteran Balaji actor. With Kutumb, Kusum, Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kya Hadsaa Kya Haqeeqat, Kavyanjali and now Kasauti Zindagi Kay, Hiten is known as Ekta Kapoor's blue-eyed boy. Even with his star status, the actor admits that he is on call 30 days a month, 16 hours a day.
In fact, till a month back, Hiten was working for 20-22 hours a day to have enough episodes of TRP-grabber Kasauti in the bank. "I have no complaints. It does get tiring at times, but when you are one of the key characters in the show, you can't help it," he says.
The television industry is worth Rs 139 billion, and the major production houses are publicly-listed companies, but still systematic employee-schedules are not happening. With at least 12 competing general entertainment channels, television artists and technicians end up working on back-to-back shifts as long as 48 hours. This is the result of being signed on for multiple shows, most often with the same production house. Worse still, in a highly competitive environment, not many complain as the lure of overnight fame and money is very high.
The consequences are nothing short of inhuman. In April, Shubhangi Atre, lead actor of Kasturi, Balaji's prime-time soap, fainted on the sets due to exhaustion. Actor Sunny, who played Saksham in Kasauti Zindagi Kay, has fainted more than once after having worked for long hours. Sampada Vaze says she got just one day off when she was suffering from chicken pox, and a generous week off for her wedding.
One reason why actors slog for hours without complaining is the increasing competition between veterans and the new faces. The money (some earn Rs 20,000 an episode), too, and the popularity are even more alluring. Negligence of health is taking a heavy toll on the actors. Says Rajshri Thakur, who plays the lead role in Saat Phere: "You have to be present in almost every shot. Sometimes the screenplay is not with you till the last minute. So the producer has no option but to extend the shooting hours." Rajshri works by a strict 13-hour schedule for 20 days a month and a flexi-timing for five days, "unless there is a crisis".
Crisis situations are not uncommon, and the channels are to be blamed for their flawed planning. Episode banks are not created well in advance. In some cases, the episode you are going to watch on TV tonight might have been canned a day before. Dheeraj Kumar of Creative Eye produces about five hours of programming a week, including Ghar Ki Lakshmi-Betiyaan and Maayka for Zee TV. "We try to follow a corporate style of functioning, but are several times pushed into uncontrollable situations. When I made the Om Namah Shivay, we researched for nine years. Now this is laughable; if we manage to get a 30-day lead time we are blessed," says Dheeraj.
With inadequate lead-time, television channels are unwilling to give any advance to production houses. Actually, payments are often made three months after telecast. Producers are wary about creating a large bank since the channel has the last say in either continuing a show or terminating it on the basis of TRPs.
Anuj Saxena, actor and CEO of Maverick Productions, says for Kusum he sometimes used to work 48 hours non-stop. "I remember a time when I was travelling up and down the country to complete the episodes. It was bad, but we all managed to live through it. As a producer now, I am trying to change the situation but it's not easy. It's like the 'rot has set in'. The production house cannot take the blame alone. Often, the script is approved only in the last minute by the channel," he says.
Lalit Pathak, Kasauti's executive producer, says that they try not to trouble the lead actors since they have to perform in almost every scene. The director and the cameraman are always swift in completing their job, but the new actors ask for retakes. This is once reason for stretching the schedules. "We ensure they get their break when a scene does not involve them and if they are sick we either take a body double to do the scene or change the track to eliminate the character from the next few episodes," he says.
When Rajshri suffered from dengue last December, her character was sent off to a friend's place for some episodes in the middle of an important sub-plot. Rajshri got 10 days leave. But other actors may not be that fortunate. Shubhangi, for instance, had to resume work-an ambulance was on standby on the sets for her. Last year Sachin Shroff had to be wheeled out of the sets to a hospital when he had a spell of dizziness on the sets of Sindoor.
Hiten says that besides exhaustion, a poor diet leads to ill-health. "The younger actors do not take care of their diet. One needs to take lot of liquids, juices or water, all day and avoid oily food. That's what I do. Even if I get a small break, I will have my lunch."
Actor Harsh Chaya, who has been working for the last eight years, says that it is the bargaining power of the artists that decide the number of working hours. "If you are new in the business, you have to take shit. When I joined television, I opened my mouth once too often and was kicked out of a couple of shows. Ultimately I feel the onus is with the channels. They work exactly like landlords," he says.
The working conditions too have become a huge problem for artists. Harsh says that even asking for basic amenities is looked at as throwing a tantrum. "Sometimes, 80 people use a 3x3 ft toilet. A 6x6 ft room holds 12 actors. Nobody speaks up because they don't have the guts. They don't want to be seen as the nakhrewala," he says.
People talk discreetly about how defunct factory units in Mumbai's suburbs have been converted into shooting studios, with toilets made into make-up rooms. Complaints abound about how breaks are cancelled if the schedule is stretched to accommodate extra scenes.
Nobody dares to question the producers. "There are some producers who will book you for a certain sum for 15 days and shoot only for six days. One is not supposed to question the loss of eight days, you have to remain at their beck and call," says Harsh.
It may be improbable at the moment, but actors and producers feel that planning is the key. Says Creative Eye's Dheeraj: "Channels need to understand that ultimately we are dealing with humans. There has to be a set of rules. We should have better management of talent pools."
Hiten believes better management will happen as the industry evolves, Now major film production houses like Yashraj, Vishesh Films, AB Corp Ltd, and Mukta Arts are getting into television.
Harsh, though, has a different take: "If seven major producers get together, there will be no arm-twisting from the channels, if that is the sole reason for pressuring artists. We in television are worse than prostitutes; anything goes as long as the money is coming in."
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