Abhinav Shukla Talks Payment Issues In TV, Admits Many Actors Don't Want Legal Remedies Are Afraid Of Not Getting Work
Abhinav On Non-Payment Of dues
Updated : May 22, 2020 06:54 PM IST
A few years ago, TV actor Abhinav Shukla dragged his producers to the court over the issue of non-payment of dues. It has been two years since and the actor is still waiting for his payment.
Currently, there are a number of actors who have come out to voice out their frustration against TV producers to pay off their dues. Some had even declared that they are broke with no money and they want their dues to be cleared. All of this came into the limelight even more after actor Manmeet Grewal committed suicide because he didn’t have money to pay his creditors.
It was during an interaction with Pinkvilla that Abhinav said, "The worse feeling in the world is begging for something which one has earned. It's a fact that in our industry one has to work very hard to survive and work even harder to get the payment of that hard work. I have fortunately worked with one of the best production houses in Mumbai whose professionalism and conduct was inspiring. But I also have worked with a few who have shaken my belief in ethics and professionalism."
The media portal further quoted him as saying, "Unfortunately many actors, who are living hand to mouth, can't afford a delay in payments. They have to pay the bills, rent and have to maintain a standard of living, which is demanding. Hence, once their payment is delayed, they go into desperation and resort to social media shaming, few get rough and unruly and that gives an excuse to the employer not to pay the actor on moral and legal grounds. An actor or person who is already professionally and emotionally hurt is now stuck in a double whammy."
Abhinav went on to further state that many actors don’t go the legal route because they are scared it will be a long-drawn process. He has been further quoted by the media a portal as saying, “Many actors don’t want to use the remedies of our legal system as they get discouraged by their peers and by the lengthy process! These actors are left with no option but to accept any negotiated amount which is offered by the employer. The sad part is a lot of actors are afraid of not getting any more work from the same employer and their fears are totally valid. It’s just unfortunate, one worked hard, then he worked harder to get his dues and once he got a partial amount, he is blacklisted by that particular employer. It's a tricky situation to be in. Our associations have been and can play a crucial role in solving such issues."