TV channels should help artistes and technicians who are struggling financially, says Daya Shankar Pandey

After two and a half months of suspension of all film and television work owing to the countrywide lockdown to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Maharashtra on 1 June permitted post-production work and shooting of films, TV serials, web-series and advertisements to resume, with safeguards.

While this is good news for the entertainment industry that it can finally get back to work, it will be a while before it can recoup the losses it has suffered in the lockdown. However, the biggest brunt was borne by lesser known artistes and by technicians, particularly those who work on daily wages, forcing a TV actor like Manmeet Singh to take the drastic step of ending his life.

Daya Shankar Pandey, who has acted in some hit films like Lagaan (2001), Gangaajal (2003) and Apaharan (2005), and also been part of popular television serials like Tarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma and Shani Dev, appealed to all entertainment channels to come forward and help these artistes and technicians.

"In these two-and-a-half months, all channels are re-telecasting old serials," Pandey pointed out in a conversation with Cinestaan.com. "They are getting good TRPs [television rating points] too, but actors or anyone else who worked on those serials is not getting any monetary benefit from these telecasts. So I want to appeal to all entertainment channels that whatever profits they earn from these repeat telecasts, if they donate even 0.25% to an industry association like CINTAA [Cine and Television Artistes Association], it will make a huge difference.

"Currently, these associations don't have enough funds to provide financial aid to those struggling in the lockdown."

Pandey agreed that it is not as if only film and television artistes have been suffering, but "our industry is always in the limelight, so incidents like [Manmeet Singh's suicide] get more media coverage. There are many daily-wagers who have been dying on the streets who don't get as much attention."