The Indian television industry is facing turbulent times, with declining budgets and an increasing number of shows being pulled off-air within months of launch. In an interview, Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa discussed the financial strain facing TV artists with actor Reem Shaikh.
Bharti and Haarsh opened up about the reality behind the glamour, revealing that despite their appearances on multiple TV channels, they’re currently surviving on loans.
“People assume I earn INR 20 lakhs a day, and BhartiINR ₹50 lakhs, just because we’re hosting shows on different networks,” Haarsh said. “But that’s far from reality. We're surviving on loans, and if we reject work, someone else will take it.” Bharti added humorously, “We’re so deep in loans that when the milkman shows up, we mistake him for a loan recovery agent.”
Reem Shaikh echoed the concern, stating that after delivering hits like Raabta and two other popular shows, she expected her pay to reflect her work, somewhere around INR 1.5–2 lakhs.
“But with the budget cuts, actors are being hired for just INR 50,000,” she said, highlighting the widening gap between expectations and actual pay.
With major productions becoming rare and only a few shows like Laughter Chef managing to stay afloat, insiders fear the television industry may be entering a prolonged slump.