Daily wagers cry for help amid covid crisis
Unable to send their kids to school, struggling to make ends meet, taking loans or regretting entering showbiz — such is the plight of several junior artists and daily wagers, with the second wave of the pandemic hitting the entertainment sector hard. With shoots stalled in Maharashtra, thousands of junior artistes are left behind, with no job at hand and no savings.
“Ramzan is going on, aur ghar par ration nahin hai. We aren’t getting any help. We stopped getting work even before the 15-day shutdown was announced,” says a junior artiste Naziya Nadeem Khan. Echoing similar emotions is junior artiste Aparna Bhagat Shukla, who last shot for Gum Hai Kisi Ke Pyar Mein in March, the shoot for which stopped after the lead actor tested positive. “Producers are told to avoid having junior artistes on shoots. Kya hamare jane se hi Covid-19 hoga? How will we sustain ourselves?” rues Shukla, adding that they usually earn ₹10,000₹15,000 a month, which has now been cut short from their income. The shutdown has forced many to return to their home towns. Ramzan Khan, who was working on a music reality show, says, “There was no work, so I’ve come to Lucknow. I’ll go back when things are on track.”
According to makeup dada Naushad, running away won’t help. “It’s my biggest mistake that I came in this industry. I’d have been happy in a job with a fixed income. But going back isn’t the solution. We’ve to stay here and wait,” he says.
BN Tiwari, chief of Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), has chalked out a plan. “Apart from seeking help from the chief minister, I’ve also reached out to Salman Khan,” he says. Hemanshu Dadbhawala, vice-president, Junior Artists’ Association, however, has little hopes from Bollywood. “Last year, Salman, Rohit Shetty, Ajay Devgn, etc. extended help, but this year, they’re also in a tight position with big films pending for release,” he says.