Covid-19 has hit entertainment industry miserably. Shootings have come to a halt since March 17 and there is no clarity when people will resume work on sets. This definitely is a cause of worry for actors, as some work on per day basis and others have a certain lifestyle to maintain.
We recently spoke to Krishna Bhardwaj, who essays title role of Tenali Rama in the show, about the current situation in the industry and how are people coping with it. Excerpts from the interview:
A lot of TV shows are going off air due to the pandemic...
Yes, it is a very scary scenario. And what's more worrisome is that now people are getting used to OTT platforms and digital watching. So, I am really not sure if they would like to watch same old stuff when things resume normalcy. Either ways we don't know when will shoots starts. Nothing has been done for the people who are in the entertainment industry. We are probably the last on priority list for the government, which is quite understood.
You think channels decision to end shows abruptly is fair?
I have no hard feelings for the makers and I don't think we can blame it on them. We need to understand that if they don't have money, how will they run the show? And I am sure they are also coming to this decision after doing a lot of research. I also got to know that there are many people who have been fired from their jobs like creative directors, project heads as production houses don't have money or also because if they pay them now, they won't have enough to sustain the business in the coming time.
Have you ever struggled to get your remuneration from a channel or production house, anytime?
During my initial days, when I had come to Mumbai, I have struggled a lot to get my hard-earned money. Two of the producers didn't give me money which was in thousands. They used to refuse saying that "Channel se paisa nahi aaya hai" and when I asked the channel, they used to tell me that the payment has been made to the producer.
What according to you can be done to stop such malpractices?
I think Federations like CINTAA, Union and the Government need to do something about it. This is the basic mentality producers have towards the actors. They are ready to pay director, technicians and all but when it comes to actors, they say "hamare pass paisa nahi hai."
Are you getting paid by your current production house timely?
I am currently working with Contilo Pictures and I am happy to work with these people because they are paying whole cast and crew in this lockdown till now. I am getting my payments regularly, every month.
Image Source: instagram/kriish_bhardwaj
Image Source: instagram/kriish_bhardwaj