Himani Shivpuri speaks up about the issues faced by senior artists in today바카라™s film and television industry. She also talks about how surprisingly the respect for actors reduces as the work reduces, which happens as they grow older and older.
Himani Shivpuri has been playing varied characters and we have all grown up watching her in films and on TV. While her looks haven바카라™t changed over the years and she still looks the same, she reveals that the work definitely has changed. With the advent of OTT and the Covid-19 pandemic, the way of working also has changed in the film and television industry.
Currently a part of the popular show on &TV 바카라˜Happu Ki Ultan Paltan바카라™, Himani Shivpuri has been winning audiences' hearts as Katori Amma. Talking to Prateek Sur, she opens up about the difficulties and problems being faced in today바카라™s times by senior artists. Also, she talks about how with age, the work decreases and with that, the respect as well. Excerpts:
Yes, unfortunately, we have to go through it. Now it has become a process. It actually started in Hollywood but it바카라™s very different there. Hollywood is very professional, where even for the lead character, the top star in Hollywood has to audition. This does not happen in India. Here you have this process of auditioning, and they ask you for your price and then they check and get back. Sometimes it바카라™s very funny, but if that바카라™s how everyone has to get work, then one has to go through it.
Unfortunately, especially in our industry, as you grow older, the work decreases. It바카라™s surprising, along with work, the respect 바카라“ I am talking in general and not about myself. Fortunately for me by god바카라™s grace and the love of my audience, I have been working. I바카라™m not saying that I am working 365 days a year, but constantly I바카라™m working, apart from the Covid-19 patch. In every actor바카라™s life comes a time when you are sitting at home and of course, insecurities come in but I have been fortunate that I have been continuously working. But talking generally, work does reduce and even the way people look at you. I used to do a series initially, and there used to be a senior actor who used to command the highest price but in our case, it바카라™s the opposite. It바카라™s the younger ones (who바카라™re charging more). They start with very less money, but when the serial becomes a hit then they are charging a bomb and we are the same as we were doing earlier. So that is the condition, the stage that we work in.
Talking from personal experience, I am the soul breadwinner in my family and a single working woman, I, fortunately, did not face that problem. I managed to survive, give my child a good education and I바카라™m living a good life. I am thankful for that. But yes, some actors do find it very difficult to survive.
The biggest difference is people are now constantly watching OTT. In our profession, you need to be vivid in the forefront all the time. OTT is the place because with Covid-19 people were not going out much, although they did (laughs). I am thankful people used to watch our serial 바카라˜Happu Ki Ultan Paltan바카라™ because they said this is what kept them happy in the dark times. But most people had access to these OTT platforms and had stopped watching regular series. So, OTT is a happening place for actors, technicians, and directors and it바카라™s thrown a whole set of new directors, actors, etc. It바카라™s a fantastic time.
Yes, I find especially the daily soaps very stressful because of the shoot. I do not do 18-20 hours at a stretch. Even working for 8 hours, more stressful is the travel time and anywhere in Bombay, it바카라™s 1-2 hours. So travel time you spend 4-5 hours and then 8 hours working is stressful.
I have done an interesting film 바카라˜Dukan바카라™ where I have a nice, interesting cameo in it. Another film I have done is 바카라˜Bimmi And Baba바카라™ where I have an interesting role. It바카라™s a very beautiful film. Both the films are very beautiful and unusual, so I am very excited about that.