Neha collapses on 'Mamta' sets
Friday, August 18, 2006 23:50 IST
The actor collapsed while shooting the suhag raat scene.
The high stress work ethics of the television industry has added one more victim to its list. Actor Neha Mehta, the lead protagonist in the show 'Mamta' (Zee) reportedly collapsed on the sets, after a severe bout of vomiting. The doctor, who was called in to check her, blamed it on stress and the gruelling working hours (ranging between 14-15 hours). Neha was immediately asked to pack-up and take rest. More recently, actor Ashlesha Sawant had collapsed during the shoot of 'Saat Phere' (Zee).
When contacted director Apurva Acharya confirms the incident and says, "Neha has been sent home. It is definitely due to overwork. Last week we were shooting for the shaadi functions, which demanded long hours. Today we were filming the suhag raat."
He continues, "The pace of the story is developing so fast that at times working for 16-17 hours also does not seem enough. The actors who shoot for almost 30 days at a stretch with just two holidays in between are left with no social life. The holiday that they get is spent in catching up on their sleep."
Apurva, who in the past has directed shows 'Yeh Meri Life Hai' and 'Ek Mahal Ho Sapnon Ka', is not new to chaotic schedules. He says, "While shooting for 'Yeh Meri…', actors Amit Jain and Shama Sikander, on different occasions, collapsed due to exhaustion. They were propped up by people. They were also administered glucose on the sets."
But doesn't he think that such schedules are inhuman? "The actors are explained while shooting that playing the lead character means working long hours." Apurva himself has to battle stress. He says, "Just a few days ago I took an injection and came to work. Due to erratic eating patterns, I had developed a stomach ailment." He adds, "I have chosen this profession, so why should I complain?"
Wouldn't better planning or creating a bank of episodes ease the situation? "We do create a bank. But some tracks don't seem workable and are not used. So we have to shoot anew. Unlike abroad, we don't have a multi-camera set-up. We shoot with a single camera and follow the film technique, which is time consuming. At times the actors too are working in more than one project." He continues, "The delivery date of the episode is fixed. We have to deliver." Sympathising with Neha, he says, "Hope she gets better. Or else she will have to take saline and work. The show must go on."
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