Key Points

In a recent conversation with ANI, Poonam Dhillon, who is also the president of CINTAA (Cine and Television Artists Association), shared how tough things are for "small-time actors" in the industry.

The actress explained that the situation has changed significantly over the last 20 years. Back then, artists were paid either at the end of the day or at the end of the month. But now, many television actors are being paid after '90 days' -- that's three whole months.

"The problem that we are facing today is what today's artists are facing. That wasn't there 20 years ago. Back then, people were given payment as per the contract, at the end of the day or end of the month. Today, a television actor, especially, gets paid after 90 days," Dhillon said.

Dhillon also shared how the "90-day delay" affects "small-time actors" the most. These are people who earn only a few thousand rupees per day and may work only a few days a month. Unlike big stars, these actors have no strong contracts or legal backing.

"I'm talking about short-term actors who earn a few thousand per day, and they work only two to three days a month," Dhillon said.

"We're not talking about stars who earn lakhs or crores of rupees. They get all the money from their contracts. If they don't get paid, they won't leave their house," she added.

Poonam also pointed out how delayed payments affect actors who play smaller roles and are hired just for a day. The actress further emphasized how these artists don't have the contracts or legal support that big stars do.

"But these small-time actors, people who are playing roles like a chauffeur, waiter, or a lawyer, a doctor -- who work just for a day and leave, then have to wait for 90 days for their payment. They have families, children, bills to pay, and they have to cover their basic expenses," Dhillon said.

"And we're not talking about every actor, not the big actors. They have their legal support and can go to court if needed. But these actors don't even have contracts. Earlier, they were given money for conveyance, like 300 rupees to cover transportation. Today, they're asking for 500 rupees, but they're not given anything. They're expected to travel to places that could be two hours away, without any transport allowance," she added.

- ANI