‘The whole business is getting rotten’

Harsh Chhaya has approached Cine & TV Artists Association (CINTAA) after he was forced to go on a two-month break in his show.
Harsh Chhaya is known to speak his mind. And right now there���s nothing stopping him.
The actor is upset with the way he has been asked to sit out for two months in the serial Ghar Ek Sapna on SaharaOne simply because a new executive producer has come in and is looking to change the story track hoping to boost TRPs.Harsh has approached Cine & TV Artists Association (CINTAA) in the matter.
���The whole business is getting rotten day by day,��� says Harsh.
So what exactly happened to his role in Ghar Ek Sapna? ���Three weeks ago I was informed there is a change in the story and my character Dr Rushabh and three other characters will go out of the story. They will be shown going to the US for two months. I was told there were too many characters in the show and this is an experiment to try and raise the TRPs,��� he says.
TV serials go on for years together and hence have a number of story tracks. When the focus is on one track, other actors are in the background. ���They remain in the background. We could have also remained in the background. How can some actors be removed to reduce the number? If all of a sudden you ask an actor to sit at home for two months, who is responsible? What happens to my money? Where do I earn from? When you want an actor for 20 days or for more than 12 hours a day, you get it. When a serial starts there���s never a bank of episodes. That���s why actors have to shoot round-the-clock. But what about your responsibility?���
He further says, ���Channels are very bullish. EPs always take decisions of any kind, but will not be responsible for anything. You may do things for TRPs, but isn���t humanity also part of the business? Being ruthless and insensitive is not a matter of pride. ���
Harsh has shared a close professional rapport with the producer of the show Ajai Sinha.
���I can fight with him, but I don���t want to. There is a personal relationship. I know it���s not his doing. Often producers get caught between the channel and the actors.���
He is hoping that CINTAA will look into his case and there will be a positive outcome. This is not something concerning him alone, it affects all actors, he says. ���It���s not just this one issue, there���s a larger issue that involves the entire industry. Channels function in a lousy manner with no professional or ethical guidelines. Suddenly they change the producer, if people question they are blacklisted, actors are suddenly replaced or thrown out. There has to be some guarantee, some assurances for actors. That���s why actors try and do three to four serials at one time and even faint on the sets! Somebody like me likes to focus well on what I do rather than take up too many shows. But then in the end you look like a fool!���
TV industry is ten times larger than film industry today, he points out. ���There is a lot of money and there is work for everyone. Things just need to be handled well.���