Uncertainty, anxiety a big part of celeb life

A new worry for actors is whether their industry will survive at all

Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput died by suicide on Sunday, triggering discussions about the many troubles of people in showbiz. Metrolife asked actors in Bengaluru about their anxieties and insecurities. Here is what they said.

‘Not everything is centred around me’

Vijay Raghavendra, actor and director, tasted success as a child when he acted in the hit film ‘Chinnari Mutha’.

He gets anxious when an agreed upon project doesn’t go through. “I would have worked around my other projects to make time for it. This has been a regular pattern for a few years and I have learnt to understand that not everything is centred around me,” he says.

‘Actors are a moody lot’

‘Nathicharami’ fame Sanchari Vijay says not getting a regular salary causes anxiety.

“There are times when I am busy with a project for a month, and then at home for a few months. One needs to learn how to manage,” he says. He believes theatre teaches actors to balance their emotions. “Actors are a moody lot and their success is very uncertain,” Vijay adds. Vijay says he comes from a modest background and is not averse to looking for an alternative career.

“Some projects I was lauded for like ‘Dasavala’ didn’t work at the box office. I have faced anxious times, this has happened with other films too. My friends are my support system,” he says.

‘Judged for everything’

Actor Neha Saxena feels being a female actor adds to the anxieties. “Actors are judged for everything: the way we dress, talk, walk and the roles we do. Nobody understands the struggle of how we get those films. The competition is so tough, and roles are often always given to those already in the limelight,” she says.

It’s easy to say ‘talk’ but everyone’s too busy to take phone calls, she adds.

‘Even attire is a worry’

Bagging good projects and matching up to the lifestyle of a celebrity is a tough game, says Ashwin Rao Pallakki, actor and director.

He says, “If we repeat an attire worn at an event, then we are judged or criticised. We need to realise that celebrity or non-celebrity, all of us are humans and have our own struggles.”

‘Being a celebrity is hard’

The uncertainty of getting good projects is a common fear, says actor Adhvithi Shetty of ‘Mr and Mrs Ramachari’ and ‘Girgitle’ fame. “I am an MBA graduate and was working as an HR professional, and I chose this field because of my passion,” she says. Being a celebrity is hard as you have to maintain an image, she says.

‘No certainty about work or money’

Roopa Rayappa of KGF fame says a new anxiety has gripped actors in the wake of the pandemic. “If the whole world is in crisis, who will watch films and how will film industries survive? Artistes follow their passion and avoid being in the rat race,
but now due to increased
competition we are also part of the race, which is worrying,” she says.

Roopa says being an artiste is ‘an everyday hustle’. “There is no certainty about work or money. Uncertainty over the future is probably making actors anxious, along with the pressure to maintain a lifestyle,” she says.