Veteran Junior Artiste Reveals Salman Khan Is Bearing Expenses For Her Cancer Treatment, Says No Help From The Industry For Them

With the coronavirus lockdown, things have really gone from bad to worse for the daily wage earners. With all the shoots shut, nothing working, these workers are left with no work and no money. Veteran Junior artiste, Saeeda Shakii Shaikh in a media interaction revealed stories from yesteryears about how actor Shashi Kapoor would bring all the junior artistes together and have lunch with them.

The junior artiste has been quoted as revealing, how Shashi Kapoor used to be funny while having lunch, and that he once said, “You all forgot to invite a poor man like me.”

Shaikh revealed that this time the industry shutdown happened while she was shooting for Bunty Aur Babli 2. The three weeks since has been hard on her family of five. She has been quoted as saying, “Pappu Lekraj(talent coordinator) usually finds us work. I make Rs 1000 in eight hours shift. My son is a cab driver, we manage to make ends meet. But now things have become difficult. In the morning I go to the local grocery store for the essentials. Since we don’t have money at this point, I told the grocer, Bhai de do. Once we resume work, we will pay you back.”  We have been buying items from him from the past 30 years, so he trusts us,” says the Mumbai suburb resident.

And now when the entire family is locked within the four walls of the house, she revealed, when she is not busy with the household chores, she spends her time with her grandson. “We all watch TV together before going to sleep, I offer my prayers; Jo Bhi Ho upar wala bhookha to nabhi sulaata hai.” Said she in the report.

The report further states that Shaikh joined the film industry in the year 1972. She has been the member of Mahila Kalakar Sangh, which falls under the purview of the FWICE. In the report she goes on to reveal, “We haven’t got a call from any association. I know about 10 to 12 junior artistes who live in the Marol to Saki Naka stretch, and nobody has got any aid from the cine bodies.”

In the report Shaikh also admitted, during the shoot of Kabhi  Khushi Kabhie Gham, Shah Rukh Khan funded her cancer treatment of a junior artiste’s mother. And therefore, she is hopeful, Bollywood stars will rise to the occasion this time too. She has been also quoted as saying, “When Sanjay Dutt heard about my illness, he invited me home and borne my medical expenses. I am a breast cancer survivor and a heart patient, Salman (Khan) Bhai has been funding my treatment for over five years. There should be an association or a provident fund for elderly women who no longer get work in the industry. Amjad (Khan) Bhai wanted to create a fund system for us, but he passed away soon after.

We hope the Bollywood industry biggies are reading this and they are on their way of getting whatever help in their capacity to such workers. For more on this one and the latest stories from Bollywood keep a close tab on Desimartini.com