Stars burn out12/6/2023 The reason why a lot of actors are overworked is because they fear losing out on opportunities, often for very little money. So artists go overboard and cross personal boundaries in order to be seen, heard and tell people they are out there," says the executive. “With growing competition, there is new talent coming in every day and if you’re an actor who is five or 10 years into the industry, you have reason to be insecure. Performance anxiety and financial instability are other burdens. But all of this makes for the unrelenting cycle of deaths," the person adds. “A lot of people don’t realize they’re stressed. Harassment, both mental and sexual, is common in the entertainment industry, say insiders, and it only multiplies the stress. Moreover, the system is largely a freelance one, where actors could be on a project for months and then not know what to do until something new comes along. In fact, a lot of people smoke between 10-15 cigarettes a day due to the stress," says the executive. More often than not, alcohol and smoking are an indispensable part of such meetings.įOMO, or the fear of missing out on an opportunity that could change one’s life when there are hundred others competing for it, is high in this field. Their busy work schedules apart, actors are up on their feet even during breaks, constantly seeking out future assignments from directors and producers, going for meetings and auditions, to parties or to the gym. But in show business, the vulnerability is more given the constant public glare, small window of opportunity and fickle nature of success. Premature deaths are not uncommon as stress, pressure to perform and the rat race are a given in any industry. Popular stand-up comedian and actor Raju Srivastava, 58, too suffered a cardiac arrest while working out and was on ventilator support for a few weeks before he died. His colleague Surryavanshi and Kannada actor Rajkumar, both 46, succumbed to cardiac failure following a gym session. Shukla, who became a household name through TV serial Balika Vadhu and later Bigg Boss, was only 40 when he died of a heart attack in September 2021. It’s a tough ask even for those who appear fit. It’s almost 20 hours of work and it’s crazy," says the executive. But on TV, you would be shooting some 22 minutes of footage in one to one-and-a-half days, which is basically one episode. One can shoot two minutes of footage a day and that’s fine. “Films are also not that tight commercially. Films usually wrap up in 45-60 days while OTT platforms afford breaks between seasons. Unlike film and OTT (over-the-top) projects which work on finite schedules, television demands long periods of commitment. So, you’re pretty much surviving without rest or sleep," the person says. “The work atmosphere on TV soap sets is pretty crazy and these are considered regular working hours for everyone. And within this space, television is notorious for its maddening pace.Ī senior executive at a broadcast network, who declined to be named, said those involved in daily soaps often shoot for 18-20 hours a day at a stretch for almost an entire month, making TV actors and crew an easy case for burnout. The entertainment industry is known for its long, erratic working hours. Add to that unrelenting public scrutiny and demands of the industry, where the need to look good and flaunt well-sculpted bodies often pushes them beyond limits to over-exercise or use dietary supplements indiscriminately. Gruelling work schedules, the constant pressure to perform and a hectic social calendar to ensure visibility and relevance in the competitive, unforgiving entertainment industry are punishing its young talent, both mentally and physically. While media coverage, especially in the case of Sharma or 34-year-old Rajput, has largely been voyeuristic focusing on the love life and relationships of the actors, the industry, too, has chosen to be in denial about the circumstances leading to such premature deaths. All three were fitness enthusiasts who succumbed to heart failure. Like model and TV heartthrob Sidharth Shukla, Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar or television actor Siddhaanth Vir Surryavanshi, who died within months of each other. And the victims are mostly young, popular and talented artists. Since the demise of Hindi film actor Sushant Singh Rajput more than two years ago, the entertainment industry has seen an alarming rise in deaths, brought on either by suicide or sudden cardiac disease.
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