Is TV all work, no pay? Inside the industry's long-standing issue with payments

For millions of viewers television actors are familiar faces who appear in their living rooms every evening often associated with fame and success But behind the polished sets and primetime popularity lies a far less glamorous reality Over the years several actors have publicly alleged delayed or unpaid remuneration exposing the financial uncertainty that exists within the industryThat conversation has resurfaced after TV actor Shehzada Dhami Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai alleged that a production house owes him Rs 30 lakh in unpaid dues Speaking up in his support actor Shilpa Shinde Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai described some television producers as ldquowhitecollar mafiardquoTheir claims join a growing list of similar complaints in the television industry Actors including Nupur Alankar Diya Aur Baati Hum Kishwer Merchant Hip Hip Hurray even the family of deceased actor Manmeet Grewal Aadat Se Majboor have at different points spoken about delayed payments financial distress or the irregular cash flow that often accompanies television work While producersrsquo bodies have occasionally disputed individual allegations or cited contractual and productionrelated complications the recurring nature of these complaints points to a systemic issue rather than isolated disputesAkash Jagga a TV actor talks about how payments often get delayed by 90 days and is a common practice in the industry nowTV actor Akash Jagga who is best known for his roles in Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2020 and Sasural Simar Ka 2 20212022 entered the television industry in 2020 He says that delayed payments are not an exception but an accepted part of the profession It is an unspoken standard practice for actors especially newcomers to be paid 90 days after the shooting of a particular show His conversations with senior actors reveal how drastically the payment culture has changed over the years ldquoIrsquove heard from seniors that actors used to receive payments almost immediately Then it became a week then a month then two months Today many actors are paid nearly three months after an episode is telecastrdquo he saysUnlike film stars with multiple revenue streams many TV actors rely on regular shooting schedules for a steady income Payments are frequently staggered and speaking out against delayed dues can carry the risk of being labelled ldquodifficultrdquo in an industry driven largely by relationships and reputation As more actors come forward with their experiences over time the spotlight is shifting from standalone individual disputes to questioning how financially secure are the faces that dominate Indian television screensJamnadas MajethiaTV actor Shreya Sinha name changed recalls an incident that exposed the power imbalance many television actors face when it comes to getting paid During one of her projects she says the production house attempted to pay her only half of what had been agreed upon when she was castldquoThey sent me only half my payment That wasnrsquot what we had discussed I stood my ground and told them that if I had worked I deserved to be paid in fullrdquo she says After repeatedly following up Sinha eventually received the full amount in her next payment cycle However she says several of her coactors who were hesitant to question the producers for fear of being replaced did not get their duesPICINSTAGRAMsatendrassoniSuch delayed and partial payments are not uncommon ldquoWe were paid once every three months and sometimes only around 20 per cent of the total amount would come Some of my coactors went six to eight months without receiving their duesrdquo She believes newcomers are especially vulnerable Many young actors eager for visibility accept salaries as low as Rs 15000 a month despite working a 12 to 14hour shifts ldquoYou canrsquot even pay your rent in Mumbai with that They do it because they want an opportunity but thatrsquos exploitationrdquo she saysWhile contracts may allow established actors to negotiate payment clauses Jagga believes newcomers have little bargaining power Eager to secure their first break they often accept whatever terms are offered ldquoAs soon as actors ask for a better budget makers can easily replace them with someone new whorsquos willing to work for less Thatrsquos why television budgets have kept shrinkingrdquo Jagga admits he too accepted such conditions when starting out But reality catches up ldquoWe spend long hours on set sacrifice our personal lives and our health yet the pay doesnrsquot reflect the amount of work we put inrdquoIs it a film problem as wellShehzada Dhamirsquos allegations are not an isolated case Last month actor Satendra Soni Laapata Ladies 2023 broke down in an emotional Instagram video alleging that he had not been paid for his work and claiming he was threatened after repeatedly asking for his dues His video struck a chord with many within the industry once again highlighting the financial insecurity that can accompany life in television While not every project is affected payment disputes remain a recurring concern across Indiarsquos entertainment industry underscoring the absence of uniform safeguards for freelance creative professionalslsquoProducers are the most vulnerablersquoOffering the producersrsquo perspective actor producer director and Indian Film and Television Producers Council IFTPC chairman for TV and Web Jamnadas Majethia says delayed payments are rarely intentional and are often a consequence of mounting financial pressures within the television ecosystemMajethia explains that payment delays often arise when a producer suffers financial losses or faces cash flow issues In such situations producers prioritise immediate operational expenses including payments to daily wage workers studios and essential vendors while actors and suppliers often receive their dues later ldquoA producer has to ensure the shoot doesnrsquot stop If the studio isnrsquot paid rent on time the production comes to a standstillrdquo he explains ldquoAnd delayed deliveries can cause a further loss due to late delivery penaltiesrdquoMajethia maintains that delayed payments are not an industrywide norm but individual cases that receive greater public attention because of the industryrsquos visibility He believes producers today are operating under unprecedented pressure ldquoA producer is the most vulnerable person in the entire systemrdquo he says ldquoProducers have to deliver the same quality of content despite significantly dropped budgetsrdquo With television viewership declining and advertisers increasingly shifting their spending towards OTT platforms production budgets have shrunk considerably for the television industry ldquoSo where will the money come fromrdquo he asks