Television actors on how they deal with stress
Saif Ali Khan's hospitalization of a suspected heart attack caused by stress has raised the question: are our celebs overworking themselves? With their peak working career measuring only a few years, do the stars burden themselves with too much to do? We ask the TV world's stars.
Amar Upadhay
I've been through the crazy schedules of shooting for 16 hours a day, 30 days a month, 365 days a year. Now I am in such a position that if I demand to have Sundays off and work for only 10 hours a day it is accepted! I don't do the 15 hour shifts anymore and my life is very relaxed. I work for about 8 to 10 hours a day and Sundays off is compulsory so my life is pretty relaxed.
I think stress is the main factor in Saif's case. It's known to put pressure on the heart and arteries. Smoking is also a big killer. I've heard he smokes a lot and I would advise him to avoid it. His career is going great so this will be a big inconvenience to him. I hope he has a speedy recovery and takes care of his health and diet. He works out which is good but I feel that if he did pranayam every day he would be in the best of health and would never suffer this kind of attack again.
Rohit Roy
Well our schedules nowadays are very hectic and it all depends on how much you can take. As actors we don't have fixed timing as an office would have. A normal day sees me working from 9 AM to 9PM. Then with performances for shows I usually have to rehearse after that. That is the norm in this industry so there is nothing that can be done about it. There's no way of dealing with the stress until you land up in a situation that forces you to slow down like Saif Ali Khan. You can't predict when you are going to fall ill or when it becomes too much. Saif is a fit guy and what has happened is very unfortunate. The conditions in every field now have a lot of pressure. Everyone is working for long hours and the stress is just too much. More than once I've felt burnt out after a long shoot or a hard week's work and I've been in this business for years.
Sai Deodhar
Honestly films are very different from television. Even though the stakes are higher for film actors the work is more relaxed. Television is really killing as a job especially if you are playing a main part in a serial. It's also a very thankless job. As a television actor you are expected to work for long hours and we are constantly pushed to work harder. Even if you take that extra step it goes unnoticed. Because of the busy schedules we aren't even able to take a break and go on a holiday.
It's quite demanding. Not only do you shoot for hours on end you're also in the same place for a long time. I work for 15 hours a day 30 days a month. Now I am playing a double role so my work load has also doubled! It's no wonder that people as young as Saif are falling ill. Nowadays the incidence of diabetes, anxiety attacks and heart disease is too common among relatively young people. I haven't figured out yet how to deal with my stress. I try my best but right now I am really taxed. I think everyone deals with it in their own way. You cannot take anyone's advice because at the end of the day it has to apply to your own situation.
Swapnil Joshi
The entire life system in Mumbai is very hectic whether you are an actor, a doctor or a chartered accountant. There is financial stress to deal with, apart from the stress of traveling and pollution. People seem to think that being an actor means posing in front of the cameras and going home but shifts have to be constantly adjusted, the financial aspect has to be managed and to top it all off the working hours are just gruesome!
I don't know what happened in Saif's condition but actors have constant pressure on them. They are overworked due to expectations put on them from audiences. After a while it builds up on the person's mind and body and unfortunately one day it takes its toll. The time it takes to reach breaking point differs from person to person but I think it's best to try and avoid the fall before it happens. To reduce the stress in my life I do a lot of mediation and yoga. I make sure I catch at least 5 to 6 hours of sleep every night and I try to live my life as balanced as possible. No one over works to the point of collapsing deliberately; you just think that you can take it. I once shot for 18 hours a day, 6 days continuously for a show in Dubai. I had to finish my shooting within those 6 days so it was extremely taxing.
Achint Kaur
Well in the television industry we have to work for 12 hours a day and that's the norm. I can't even call it an industry because if it was then I'd be working for 8 hours a day like most people! I work very hard but that is only because I choose to do so. It is not about what the production house makes you do but about how much work you are willing to put in. Ultimately the more work you put in amounts to more money and benefit for you. Whenever I feel like I need a break I shoot in advance and go on a small holiday to relax. Usually the most stressful period is when the show is just getting started. This lasts for maybe a month and a half. Other than that there are stages of stressful times. I have once worked for 58 hours straight but that was long ago when I had more energy! I hadn't heard about Saif Ali Khan falling ill till now. It's very sad and I would hate to think of something like that ever happening.
http://www.indya.com/news/saifstress_celebs.html
comment:
p_commentcount