Television actors are worst hit amid pandemic crisis: Niya Sharma

Niya Sharma the talented actress who was last seen in Tenali Rama has been busy for a while with her new channel Up Close and Personal with Niya Sharma.

Niya who has been waiting for a challenging role on television feels that the COVID-19 situation has changed the entire functioning of the TV industry.

Agreed, that the pandemic has created a situation where there has been a major drop in the pricing that broadcasters have given the Producers, and that has affected the actors too, who have been asked to work for lesser money when compared to their normal money bracket.

Says Niya, “The value for talent has drastically dropped in the TV industry. The market has been completely slashed owing to the aftermath of the pandemic. Though there are many new shows coming, more and more people now prefer to cast a newcomer or a semi-known face rather than taking a known actor. Obviously, two or more freshers or semi-known faces can be got with the money that a known actor would demand. When we go for auditions, the question first asked is to slash our money bracket and bring it down drastically. People are struggling in their own way to get work in the industry. However, the reality is that actors are hit badly with this financial drop. TRP is all that matters now, and they do not care about the real talent.”

This has actually given rise to a situation wherein the actors who have the experience to demand high pay are forced to go to the digital medium, which is what Niya feels. “The senior actors and actors in their mid-success phase are given a condition to either slash their rates or look for work beyond the medium of TV. This has left actors with no option but to tap into the resources of the web medium. Work in web medium comes with its own pressure, as even the known actors are given smaller roles and do not get lead roles served to them on a platter.”

“Please do not frame me as an activist. But this is reality. When I go to the gym, I see a lot of actors who are working really hard on their looks. What’s the point if such actors do not get work. COVID -19 has hit people of all professions. But actors are hit the most. I hope TV actors get their respect back soon.”