I am not begging for money: Sikri denies seeking financial aid
Surekha Sikri who had raised her voice against the Maharashtra government’s decision to not permit cast and crew above 65 years to shoot, shares that she has been approached for a few projects, but all for ad films.
“Some ad enquires have come but nothing has been finalised yet. Again, these won’t be sufficient. I need to do more work to take care of my medical bills, but producers aren’t ready to take the risk,” she says.
While Sikri, 75, needs to work now to manage her expenses, she is upset about recent reports suggesting that she asked her friends for financial help. “I don’t want any wrong impression to be created that I am begging for money. I don’t want charity. Yes, many have reached out to me, but I’ve not taken anything from anyone. I want to earn respectfully,” adds the National Award winning actor, who was last seen in Ghost Stories earlier this year.
Sikri, who has not been working for quite some time, says the pandemic has only made things worse. “If politicians over 65 are still working, why can’t actors and technicians? Many of us are going through a difficult time, and we need money to survive,” says the actor, whose medical expenses go up to ₹2 lakh a month.
In 2018, the senior actor suffered a brain stroke that left her partially paralysed. While she took time to recover, Sikri couldn’t take up much work, which had an adverse effect on her financial status.
Raring to start working, Sikri says she can take care of herself with a little help from her nurses. “I’ll take all necessary precautions. I can’t sit at home any longer and be a burden on my family. Everyone is going through a tough time, and my bills are adding to my concern,” adds the actor, who is planning to write a letter to Information and Broadcasting minister Prakash Javadekar sharing her concern.
“Yes, I’ve asked my manager to draft this letter. I feel the Maharashtra government should understand our plight. How could they come up with such a rule without thinking about the implications? Did they think about how seniors actors would be affected?” asks the actor.