After a complete halt of almost three months, the television industry in India is finally crawling back to normalcy. While several production houses have begun churning out fresh episodes of their ongoing shows, others are gearing up to roll the camera in a few weeks. Some channels are even planning to roll out new shows soon.
Popular mythological show Vignharta Ganesha, which airs on Sony Entertainment Television, has also resumed shooting. The latest update on the show is that actor Kuldeep Singh, who played the character of Lord Vishnu, has opted out of the show. Surprisingly, his good friend and co-star Akanksha Puri is ecstatic with his exit. Do you wonder why?
Talking to a popular online publication, Akanksha Puri said, “Kuldeep was scared to shoot amidst COVID-19 scare also to protect his family. I am rather happy that he quit the show. Good he left because Vishnu was never an important character for this show! It is just a character that will be used hardly in a month. And with the budget that Kuldeep was working on, I definitely feel he is meant to do something way better than doing a side role. I wonder why he signed for a small character role like this in the first place in a show which nowhere revolves around Vishnu.”
Produced by Contiloe Entertainment, Vignharta Ganesha is one of the most popular mythological shows on Indian television. It features Malkhan Singh, Akansha Puri and Nishkarsh Dixit in lead roles of Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati and Lord Ganesha respectively.
Keep visiting this space for more updates from the world of television.
The actress defended her claim that acting demands more than desk jobs in a recent interview.
She said office workers can "chill out" during work hours, unlike film stars.
Fans and working professionals called her comments privileged and out of touch.
The backlash started after her appearance on Amazon Prime's Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle.
Critics pointed out the financial gap and support systems actors have compared to regular employees.
Kajol probably didn't expect this reaction when she sat down with Twinkle Khanna on Two Much. But her comments about actors working harder than people with 9-to-5 jobs have blown up, and not in a good way.
Fans slam Kajol after she says actors work harder than regular employees sparking online outrage Getty Images
The comments that started it all
Kajol was speaking out about her earlier comments on Two Much with Kajol & Twinkle on Amazon Prime, where she said actors work harder than most people. This time she was explaining why she thinks that.
She told The Hollywood Reporter India that her days are full of shoots, events, and very early flights. One day involved waking at 5 AM to catch a flight to Jaipur for a 3 PM event.
But it was her take on regular jobs that got people talking. She claimed desk workers don't need to be "100% present" and can take breaks, "chill out," and relax while working. She kept coming back to the unending scrutiny actors face like the feeling of always being watched or something as simple as how you cross your legs or who's snapping a picture in the background becomes a constant calculation. You have to be switched on, she insisted, all the time.
The internet, frankly, was having none of it. YouTube and Reddit exploded with responses. "For the kind of remuneration actors are paid, they shouldn't have a problem working 12 hours a day for 4 days a week," one user wrote. Another pointed out that films typically take 3-4 months to shoot, while regular jobs run year-round.
The responses got more pointed. "Vanity mein naps or massages bhi toh hum lete hain," a Reddit user commented, referencing the comfort of vanity vans. Someone else joked: "If you work poorly, you get fired. If you act poorly, you get a Filmfare award."
The bluntest response yet? "Respectfully, Kajol, shut up."
Nobody denies acting is demanding. Long hours, public pressure, and constant judgement are very real. But comparing it to regular employment ignores some major differences.
Most people work 12 months a year with two weeks' holiday if they're lucky. They don't have spot boys fetching drinks or vanity vans for rest breaks. One netizen nailed it: "A working parent's schedule is continuous, every single day, with no wrap-up party or off-season."
Online erupts as Kajol defends claim that acting demands more than everyday 9-to-5 workGetty Images
There's also the money. While her fee for a single film is probably more than most people earn in a year, she says that doesn’t make the work easy. Still, it does provide a comfort that regular employees don’t have. Kajol has not yet replied to the backlash.
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