MUMBAI: A lot of people come to the city of Mumbai to fulfill their dreams and lift up their poor families financially. Only a few get the chance to manifest and live their dreams. 

As for actors and the other industry folks, they have heaps of expectations once they bag a project and the most basic of it is the remunerations.

TellyChakkar.com has been at the forefront in updating the viewers about many actors suffering from non-payment issues. These issues, in past, must have varied from workers, actors and technicians not being paid for a month or two. But what if we tell you that Humari Bahu Silk cast and crew are facing non-payment issues for almost a tenure of the show?

Yes, you heard it right. If the sources are to be believed, the cast and crew of the Zee TV show has not received their payments for around 90% of their services.

The show had actors like Zaan Khan, Chahat Pandey and Reeva Chaudhary in lead roles.

Humari Bahu Silk was initially produced by Klay Pictures (Devyani Rale and Sudhanshu Tripathi) while later Silver Ivory Production helmed by Jyoti Gupta took over the charge as the producer of the show. The cast and crew have apparently only received payment for some 15 days and the producer Jyoti Gupta owes them the rest of the money.

An actor on request of anonymity said, “We’ve been asking the producers to pay us since quite sometime now. Jyoti Gupta says that the channel (Zee TV) hasn’t paid him. When we contacted the channel, they clarified that the producers have not submitted the documentation of actors and crew that is required for the legal contract and the channel does the payment only against those documents. The channel understands our plea but their contract is with the producer and not with the actors and hence, they are third party and can’t do much to help us out”.  

Actress Kirti Chaudhry who played the character of Mausami in the show said, “It has been a year now and we have not been paid. Payment is done only for the month of May 2019. Sometimes I regret doing the show. Had I done some other project accept this, I would have been paid for my hardwork. All the actors were extremely dedicated and passionate about the show and hence did not take up event appearances or other projects as we were loyal to the show and what are we getting in return? Only sufferings. I had to abandon my house in Mumbai and come back to my hometown as I can’t afford the rent and daily expenses. The producers are not even empathetic about the sufferings. Even my parents tried calling the producers several times but they didn’t respond. I feel extremely sad for the make-up artists, Hair department and other technicians who are from lower middle class. A few of them landed at Silver Ivory Production’s office and narrated how their kids have been thrown out of the schools for not paying fees. That also didn’t work as the producer claims that the channel hasn’t paid him. After a lot of prodding, the actors got a deal to bare 60% pay cut and take the remaining 40%. Can you imagine the amount being deducted? Why should we lose our hard-earned money”?

Another actor on anonymity said, “We have invested a lot in the show financially. An actor needs to look good hence takes up gym membership, skin care guidance, dieticians etc. You can also count the commuting expense. All and all we have put in a lot of hardwork and have spent money from our pockets and now, it seems like all of it wasn’t worth it.

Sources close to the cast and crew said, “While the world is in a lockdown and needs money to survive, the cast and crew of Zee TV’s Hamari Bahu Silk are almost begging and pleading to the biggies for their payments to be done. They are only asking for their own money, that the producer owes them, can you understand the frustration level? You have given your all to a show and for the service you are not even paid, especially in this lockdown situation. A few character artists along with make-up personals have given up on the situation. They have been crying. It won’t be surprising if they resort to suicide as they are in a situation wherein ending their lives must seem easier than surviving and begging for their own money. Trust me, the situation is gross”.

TellyChakkar.com called Devyani Rale and Sudhanshu Tripathi of Klay Pictures. We also called Jyoti Gupta of Silver Ivory Productions but the trio didn’t respond to our calls. We send them a WhatsApp as well as an inbox message to evoke a response, but dint hear from them until filing this piece.

TellyChakkar.com hopes that the issue gets resolved soon.

Stay tuned to this space for more updates.