Hyderabad: Aspiring artistes fervently hope for regular shoots

The pandemic has hit the film industry badly just as it wreaked several sectors, throwing thousands out of employment. In Hyderabad, Krishna Nagar is the place where budding artistes with dreams of making it big in the tinsel world. It is close to Jubilee Hills where the film and TV personalities reside and studios are nearby.

It has been hub of aspiring artistes for a very long time. In pre-pandemic times, one could see the place teeming with aspiring artistes and junior artistes able to eke out a living, hoping to make it big one day.

Once the Covid-19 broke out, inducing a severe lockdown, almost all artistes left for their native places. With the Centre gradually relaxing restrictions for cinema and TV shootings, many have already landed in the city. However, it is said that only a fraction of them are finding work these days, while others are draining their resources and pinning hopes on production houses to resume full time operations.

"Artistes who were working in lead roles do not have many issues but those working for daily wages as also assistant workers are not finding work even twice in a month. Moreover, even those landing any job are not being paid fully or being cheated by middlemen or contractors, according to Sudhir, a native of Visakhapatnam who has been trying for better roles for the last four years. But hopes keep him cling to Krishna Nagar as chances are trickling in, though with little remunerations.

Their search for opportunities begins early in the day and prolongs till late in evening. Desperation and despair are writ large on the junior workers, artistes and aspirants looking for careers in cine, TV fields.

Not only youngsters and even those with years of experience are ruing their plight due to Covid shock. A 61-year-old Padma, sharing her life struggles, said, "I used to work in factories before I entered the film industry and started attending shootings since 2011. Film shooting payments are always unpredictable. Few people give full payment. Many pay only half payment and some even cheat us. I work as a company artiste and now this pandemic has halted all the shootings which brought a nightmare to our lives. It is difficult for all of us to bear financial burden for months on end. Before lockdown I had shot for the movie "No Parking" and since then no shoot has taken place."

Another old artiste N Soujanya shares, "I am a patient with BP, Sugar and Asthma and I have three daughters. My husband left when my children were young. Since then I had to struggle and finally marry them off. Now I am all alone and still looking for opportunities." Explaining payment hurdles, a junior artiste Ravi Kumar said, "If an assistant was paid Rs 1000 per day before pandemic, now they are barely getting Rs 500 to Rs 600. We are all facing hard times. Producers are either putting off shoots or are cutting back on roles. Having we know nothing other than acting in our lives." A silver lining is seen, though, as shootings are picking up pace slowly, he adds with a glint of hope in his eyes.