Sangeeta Yadav (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 29, 2020)

“Pandemic or no pandemic, to have to beg for your hard-earned money is sad,” says actor Sanaya Irani about the non-payment of dues in the TV industry.

Actor Manmeet Grewal’s suicide due to financial crisis left her heartbroken, as did the news about many others in the industry who’re complaining about unpaid dues.

“I’ve not done TV for six years but I do remember during my time, too, producers used to make excuses. It’s always blamed on the channel. One person passes the buck to the other. I never had to wait for long because the producers I worked with were nice and I was very professional about these things,” she says.

Some actors wait for four to eight months or more for their dues. The 36-year-old actor asks, “Why are you working for somebody for this long? First, producers opt for newcomers who are willing to work for less money. And in the fear of losing work, actors are okay getting paid after eight months.”

The only way to change this, according to Irani, is to raise your voice at the right time. “If you don’t get your money in three months, raise your voice in the fourth month,” she says.

The actor, who did a few projects before the Coronavirus lockdown, is also waiting for her payments. She says, “I’m willing to wait. I understand that it’s a hard time for everybody. Luckily, I’m not in a hand-to-mouth situation. In such tough times, none of that name and fame matters.”

Actor Sanaya Irani is grateful for some wonderful producers
Sangeeta Yadav (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 13, 2019)

She’s straightforward. And Sanaya Irani, despite the fame thanks to TV shows such as Miley Jab Hum Tum, Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon?, stays humble. The 36-year-old, gearing up for her new film, talks about stardom, and more. Excerpts from a chat:

How did stardom affect your life after becoming one of the top actors on TV?
Stardom will never change the person I am, but it made me uneasy when I realised I couldn’t walk into a mall without being noticed. I was never anxious about fame, I’m anxious about good work, which is now happening with my upcoming horror film, Ghost. I feel every actor should have a backup plan.

There have been reports about you being rude to your co-stars.
As a human being, you have good days and bad days. I’m guessing people who crossed paths with me on my bad days may feel so, but I’m not someone who would throw a tantrum. I’m an honest, a no-nonsense person. I believe creating a healthy, happy work environment is paramount. What I say is often out of honesty and with no malice.

TV actors working in daily soaps get paid 90 days after the first episode is aired. Did it affect you?
I’ve worked with producers with whom I haven’t faced such problems. I always got my money, maybe late, but I’ve got it. I’m aware of a lot of people who faced this problem. The 90-day plans aren’t feasible. A 30-45 day period is still understandable.

Why do actors have to bear the brunt in this?
That’s what! The producers being the sole proprietors mean they would incur profits and losses. I, as an actor, chose to be working with a salary and we don’t get a part of the profits. Then why is it that we’ve to bear the losses with them? That’s unfair. The cast and crew work so hard for 12 hours or even more. So we deserve to be paid, irrespective of losses. We wouldn’t leave them in a lurch so why should they leave us asking for our own money? That being said, this isn’t the case with all producers out there.

Smita Poojary (DNA; October 8, 2019)

Sanaya Irani is one of the most recognized faces on television, thanks to Miley Jab Hum Tum as well as Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon, which enjoyed a massive fan following. In spite of all the popularity, Sanaya has not been part of any daily soap for years -- her last full-fledged role was in Rangrasiya (2014). That’s because she feels the content on television has changed a lot and the kind of work does not suit her. “I’ve done TV for over 10 years and it has changed so much in that decade. The kind of content on TV today is not what I want to do. It’s not that I don’t want to do television. I am what I am because of the small screen but now, there’s a buffet of options – web, telly and films. Why should I be stuck to one medium?” she reasons. Here, she speaks about her upcoming film Ghost directed by Vikram Bhatt.

What made you take up the role in Ghost?
It was a mix of things. Firstly, the story is based on a real-life incident and when I heard it, I found it interesting. And then came my role; the character that I’m playing is extremely complex. She’s not like a normal, simple lawyer who has everything sorted in her head. When Vikram was telling me about it, he was like I really think you can do this. When I saw his conviction in me, I felt, I needed to do this.

You have acted with Vikram in the web series Zindabaad. How different is he as a co-actor and director?
There was a world of a difference. He completely fooled me. He would keep telling me during Zindabaad that I’m such a good actress. When he offered me the movie, I thought he liked my work. I went on the set thinking everything is going to be fine as Vikram has seen my acting. But that wasn’t the case. After my first take, Vikram was like, ‘What are you doing? What are you thinking?’ For the first 10 days, I wondered why he even cast me for this. I realised the difference between Vikram as a director and an actor is like North and South poles. When he was acting with me, he never told what to do, he only did from the director’s chair.

Are you a fan of horror movies?
Oh, I’m a big fan/fattu! I’m the kind who will sit in the theatre and be like, ‘Oh, no! Ho gaya?’ But I also love horror, suspense and thriller because as a viewer, it’s captivating and makes my mind work through the film.

Are you open to doing a full-fledged show on television again?
If I get my kind of content on television, I will happily do it. But films and the web have spoiled me. The challenge on the small screen starts to die down as the shows go on for two years. After three months into the serial, the character is in your blood, so, I can do it on auto mode. But if I get a limited series, I will happily do it.

There are many supernatural shows on TV. Are you open to doing one of them?
That’s not something I would want to try. I have done a supernatural film, but it got over in two months of shooting. I would not like to do horror at least for my next eight projects as I want to experiment.

What other kinds of roles would you like to do?
Anything and everything that I have not done in the past. Yes, but if somebody offered me the role that I’ve played before and it fits the story beautifully, I wouldn’t say no.