“No Work, No Money”: ’YRKKH’ Actor Sanjay Gandhi Facing Financial Crisis amid COVID 19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on everyone, resulting in job losses and severe financial hardship. The lockout has impacted people from all areas of life, including actors.

Several TV stars have spoken out about their financial troubles and how the coronavirus outbreak affected them over the last year. Sanjay Gandhi, who plays Sanjay in the film Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, also worked in Naagin, has opened up about the dearth of job in the business and how he has been looking for work.

The actor said, “So many actors are sitting at home and are jobless. There is lack of work and roles are offered for low fee. The mood of the industry is very low. Your only hope is that things will improve one day. Every day, I hear of someone I knew passing away due to Covid-19. People are suffering and while I want to help people, but I feel helpless. I am not rich and am in a financial crunch as I haven’t acted since July 2020 in ‘Nagin 4’. I live in a rented house and have expenses every month. There is no work, no money, no future plan!”

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Sanjay also misses seeing and relying on his industry pals for emotional support. The fact that several of his acquaintances have contracted the virus has added to the actor's anxiety, and he is now hesitant to go out for work since "it is risky." 50 years old actor added,“Moreover, today I am healthy, but will I be the same tomorrow? There is no guarantee. I have to lookout for myself and my health and I also have to go out of the house and work which is risky. Kare toh kya Karen?” 

Sanjay also finds the fact that there are so few roles available aggravating, and believes that veteran actors should not be contacted for auditions. The actor revealed that he went to one audition and was even chosen, but that the amount provided was so low that he felt "disrespectful."

He said, “There are two kinds of people are working in the Covid-era. One is majboor and the other is mazdoor. Both have no option but to work in whatever capacity. It is a bad and scary situation. Some production houses are using lockdown as an excuse to reduce actor’s fee by 50 or 60%. That’s why actors refuse such offers and prefer to wait. After an audition, an okay, to be offered peanuts as remuneration for the lead antagonist’s role was not done. I felt hurt, upset and disrespected. Instead of agreeing to such pittance, I would rather sit at home”.