‘TV HAS MADE MY LIFE DISCIPLINED’

Contradicting the notion that actors have an erratic lifestyle, Aishwarya Sakhuja says doing TV means a regimented day

Television actor and army kid Aishwarya Sakhuja has many shows, such as Saas Bina Sasuraal and Sarabhai vs Sarabhai season 2, to her credit. And contrary to popular belief that television actors have erratic schedules and long hours of work, Aishwarya says that working on small screen has made her life more disciplined.

“It really isn’t like that, when you are working on a TV show. I haven’t done films, so I don’t know how it works there; but when you are doing a regular [TV] show, you have fixed schedules. It makes your life disciplined, with time limited to 12 hours of work. As an actor, who has been in the industry for long, I can put my foot down and say that I am not going to work beyond these many hours,” she says.

The actor shares that just the way Bollywood actors get looked after properly, TV production houses too have a system in place. “And, thanks to [workers] Unions, they ensure that we don’t go beyond maximum 13 hours. Jab aapko pata hai ki aapki 9 se 9 ki shoot hai, you leave, eat and sleep on time. Since TV is a visual medium, you have to look good, too,” says Aishwarya.

The actor, who always wanted to get into showbiz, says, “Earlier, if someone asked me if I wanted to be an actor or not, I would have replied, ‘No, I never thought of it.’ But subconsciously, I always wanted to become one. Since class 10, I would cut pictures of these beautiful women — female actors and models — and every inch of my wall would be covered with their photos. So in a way,

I had always been preparing to enter this industry (laughs).”

When you are doing a regular [TV] show, you have fixed schedules. It makes your life disciplined, with time limited to 12 hours of work

AISHWARYA SAKHUJA, ACTOR