Not easy being a soap star...
She was
born in a tiny city somewhere in Maharashtra. Daughter of an Army man,
she went to schools across the country, finally settling for a college
education in Pune, an MBA, and a job as a Human Resource consultant. The
building she worked in happened to house an advertising agency though,
and, one morning, she was coerced into doing a commercial for Pears
soap.
That was over four years ago.
Today, far from her quiet, corporate past, Sampada Vaze is a face
gaining recognition on the small screen. After playing lead character
Minakshi Pillai in the unusual soap Pyar Ki Kashti Mein set aboard a cruise liner, she now tackles the part of Tejaswini in Sony Entertainment Television's family drama Rishton Ki Dorr.
We knew it couldn't be easy, living the life of a soap star. What we
weren't prepared for was how hard it really is. As Sampada gears up for
what will definitely be a tiring day of shooting, we crouch behind her
in the make-up room, recorder and camera in hand.
Long hours, back-to-back shifts, poor medical facilities, the casting
couch -- who would have thought these tales lay behind all that glitz
and glamour?
Interview: Patcy N | Photographs on set: Jewella C Miranda
We come to that tricky casting couch issue.
Sampada doesn't flinch. "Of course it exists," she tells us, adding that
all actors face the problem at some level. "I remember going to a big
meeting about a jewellery brand. The shoot was in Dubai and I was told
everything would be on the house. The person in charge said he would
take me shopping, but added that I would have to accompany him to all
his conferences even after the shoot was over!"
Interestingly, she says this happens in the corporate world too. "It's
up to you to take it or leave it." What does she do in situations like
this? "I usually promise to get back to them, then start ignoring their
calls. I also fire the coordinator who has fixed the meeting. I don't
think people are going to change by my getting aggravated or lecturing
them on morality. This is not cinema; this is reality."
Surprisingly, Sampada says the problem is worse for men than women,
especially in the fashion industry. She talks about male models close to
male designers, but refuses to divulge names. "They are friends," she
says, "but some of these stories are open secrets."
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As the make-up team does its job,
Sampada tells us about her move from the corporate scene to the arc
lights. "I never planned to be an actress," she says, "until that first
commercial." Within a few months, she was modelling full-time. More
commercials followed, as did a music video. Offers for serials did crop
up, but she was happy just modelling.
"I got to see the world. I was happy with the money. But, three years
into it, I felt I had done enough and decided to examine the offers from
TV." Unlike the horror stories that abound, she didn't have to
struggle. "I simply auditioned for my first serial and was selected. The
best part was the entire shoot on board a cruise liner moving from
Singapore to Malaysia."
The shift from modelling to acting wasn't that simple. "With modelling,
you need a good figure and have to look unusual, though not necessarily
attractive. Modelling and acting are very different, and the latter is a
lot more difficult."
For every success story, there are more than a few about failure.
Sampada tells us about a former model who has been trying to get into
acting for years but fails at every audition because she can't emote. "I
don't think anyone can take acting for granted," she says. "Modelling
may give you your first break, but if you're not good enough, people
will throw you out."
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Outside, the crew sets up props. There
is much noise and bustle. Inside, all is quiet. The make-up continues,
interrupted every other minute by a constant barrage of phone calls and
messages.
"Our working hours are really bad," says Sampada. "An average shift for
actors in television is 13 hours. I have worked for 22 hours while in
advertising, but this can happen in films too. I have also seen people
do two shows back-to-back, sleeping in their make-up rooms for two hours
in between! But that is a question of choice." She admits it can be
extremely tiring at times, adding that it is sometimes difficult to find
the time to exercise. "I balance it by working just 20 days a month,"
she says, "and go on regular holidays to rejuvenate myself."
Sleep is always at a premium. "If there is no bank of episodes with the
channel, you have to shoot. You can't take off even if you are ill or
someone in your family passes away! That is when some actors cave and
begin fainting on sets. In some cases, the actors should be blamed
because they need to know when to stop. They should know the amount of
work they can take."
Apparently, there isn't even First Aid available on sets. "If an
accident takes place by day, the production people get a doctor or
medicine. But there is no insurance policy." Sampada mentions a co-star
who recently fell and hurt her spinal cord badly. "In such cases, the
production house pays the bill if a doctor is called on sets, but I
don't think they take care of hospitalisation. In fact, an earlier
contract of mine clearly stated that the production house would not be
held responsible for any accidents on the sets!"
What about not getting along with co-stars? Or
directors? What about gossipmongers? Sampada is candid about it all. "I
have been lucky enough to have always had good co-stars, who are now
friends. Sometimes, you may not get along with somebody, be it an actor
or director, but you still have to work."
She admits there's a lot of gossiping, especially because of the long
gaps between shots. "You are forced to sit more than 50 per cent of the
time and there's a lot of time to kill. Some stars read, others watch
DVDs on laptops, some sleep, some gossip. But that happens in other
professions as well."
Spending so much time with the same people also inevitably leads to
relationships. "A number of TV actors and film stars opt for marriage.
When you work with somebody for long hours, you tend to become
compatible." She says she wouldn't like marrying someone from her
profession though. "I think it's tough if your shifts are different. I
may not see my partner for weeks, which can't lead to a very strong
relationship."
And no, as far as romantic scenes are concerned, they don't bring
actors closer. "The cameraman is constantly instructing you on keeping
your face at a particular angle. There are hundreds of people looking at
you. It is anything but romantic!"
Our talk moves towards money. Which is
inevitable, considering the stories about huge salaries, big investments
and buying and selling of property dominating the media.
"Bigger production houses are more professional, and the pay scales are
better," says Sampada. "People in this profession are paid very well --
per episode or per day. Payments depend on the production house as well
as which channel your serial is aired on. Some are paid Rs 5000, some Rs
40,000 a day. There are also rumours about top TV actors taking home
between Rs 50,000 and Rs 70,000 per day.
Huge salaries also mean bigger lifestyles. "There are a lot of
expenses," admits Sampada. "I spend Rs 5000-10,000 a month shopping in
India. When abroad, it could be anything between Rs 1,00,000 and Rs
1,50,000."
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Finally, it's time for her shot. There
are finishing touches being made, and a little time to prepare before
the director yells 'Action!'
Sampada takes her time, safe in the knowledge that there's a long wait
after what may be a quick first shot. She tells us about the importance
of networking, adding that it can be done even without the rigorous
partying some stars depend on.
She loves partying herself, but mentions hazards like dark circles the
next morning. "My make-up man takes care of all this," she says. "I do
it because it's work. I avoid partying late because I don't want to mess
with my profession." She takes other precautions too, such as avoiding
dinner and dessert, drinking lots of water, and eating a lot of fruit.
"I am a foodie though," she adds, "So I rarely deprive myself."
Before we leave, we mention the love-hate relationship stars seem to
have with the media. Sampada has a surprising comment to make: "When it
comes to stories about stars in tabloids, people think such things
cannot happen; they assume the media is making it up. However, we have
responsible journalism in India. In such a scenario, 60-75 per cent of
the stories carried are true."
With that, it's camera time. It could be the first day's shoot for a
new episode. Or the 55th day, for that matter. Like most of us, Sampada
Vaze goes off to work. Unlike most, she's not so sure about when she can
pack up and go home. Soap operas...they can go on forever... |
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