ACTORS FACE FINANCIAL WOES, AGAIN
From exhausting savings to looking for new sources of income, artistes share their ordeal
Many actors are helpless, and some film body needs to take note of that and do something to help them. BIDITA BAG, Actor
Unfortunately, we’re eating out our of savings; there is no income currently. SHARAD MALHOTRA, Actor
Besides affecting people’s physical and mental health, the pandemic has also taken a toll on many people’s finances, including those in showbiz, as work has been very sporadic in the past 14 months. As the industry is slowly opening up, we talk to actors about how they are keeping stock of their finances.
Shloka Pandit, who recently made her debut with Hello Charlie, says, “I live alone in Mumbai and have rent to pay. Thankfully, my parents can help me. It’s the case for most actors, because we don’t have a fixed salary. We’re living on essentials; all the extravagance has gone out of the window, and rightly so.”
Actor Meera Deosthale, too, has cut back on expenses since her TV show, Vidya, ended in March 2020. “Us actors have a lifestyle to maintain. But, for one year, I haven’t shopped anything. This is how I’ve been saving money. I’ve seen friends who had to go back to their parents’ house, as they couldn’t afford rent,” she points out.
Noting a similar situation, actor Bidita Bag says many artistes are depressed because of low or no income. “It’s a scary situation. Thanks to my savings, I am not in that phase, but we can’t ignore the financial troubles actors are facing,” she asserts.
Since they depend on shoots, it has been tough for actors in the past year, due to pandemic restrictions. “My film shoot got stalled and I can’t take new work right now. I’ve been doing music videos to earn,” says actor Himansh Kohli, who’s currently in Delhi, looking after accounts in his dad’s business.
Due to the crisis, many confess to having kept themselves occupied with other sources of income. Actor Delnaaz Irani, for instance, has been focusing on digital work. “It’s important to do that. We’re lucky to have the option of using technology to help our work,” she says.
Stressing on the need to save money, actor Sharad Malhotra says, “Expenses are high; we have EMIs to pay. For actors, it gets difficult, as payment is on project basis. So, it’s important to save 30% of what you earn and invest smartly.”
If actors don’t have projects, we don’t get any money. We have to cut down on expenses.
SHLOKA PANDIT, Actor
Doing videos and collaborations online is not only keeping me busy, but also helping me earn. DELNAAZ IRANI,
Actor