Three months ago Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai! actor Deepesh Bhan passed away suddenly due to brain hemorrhage. He had tied the knot in 2019 and had a one-and-half-year old baby. He also had a loan on a flat that he had to repay, which amounted to Rs 59 lakhs. Understandably, it was a very difficult period for his family.

That’s when actress Saumya Tandon stepped in and shared this on social media. She started a fund and appealed to people to contribute, so that Deepesh’s family could pay off his loan. Many from the industry stepped in and the money was soon settled. Saumya says it was heartening to see people step in to help.

She shares, “Actors do not have anything like pension or PF like in the case of other jobs. Their income is project-based and can be irregular at times, which makes it tougher for them. Hence, it’s even more important that their workplace and colleagues extend help. When I started this fund after the demise of Deepesh, everyone was so kind to offer help, including producer Benaifer Kohli, who collected funds from the director, actors and artistes on the sets; CINTAA and the channel also helped. A large amount came from the public as well. I always tell people to get insurance. Things like health insurance, home loan insurance etc are so important. I have taken it upon myself to make sure that everyone in my staff is insured.”

Saumya also feels a lot more needs to be done for members from the television and film fraternity. She says, “There are so many times when actors or their families are in financial need. Sometimes we even see aged actors in need of monetary help. I feel that like other professions, who have a pension system, we too can have such a fund or pension system that will eventually help people in need. Apart from that, at a personal level, too, we should keep helping people around us who require it.”

More recently, news of Mere Sai actress Anaya Soni, who needs money for her kidney transplant, surfaced. Talking about Anaya, Saumya said, “It is extremely sad to hear what Anaya is going through. I hope her friends, family and colleagues help her in her tough times. Having said that, no one is obliged to help, but we can help each other and lift each other in difficult times.”