Yet another television actor was harassed and asked to continue working in spite of his grave ill-health

While there's been much uproar over the work ethics of production houses when it comes to their TV stars, nothing seems to have changed for the better for the latter.

Earlier this month, senior actor Anupam Shyam suffered from a heart attack and collapsed on the sets of the popular daily Pratigya.

Now we hear Sanjay Gandhi, who plays Mahendra Pratap Singhania (well-known as daddaaji) on the TV show Ye Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, was also hospitalised due to exhaustion.

Says Sanjay, "I kept telling the production people that I am not feeling good and may fall sick. I requested them to let me come a bit late till I recover. They said they would cut 40 percent of my salary.

I was therefore forced to be on the sets at the same time, till one day I suddenly started feeling pain in my calves.

I immediately rushed to a doctor. The doctor told me I would die if I kept on playing with my life like this. He asked me to immediately get admitted in the hospital as my hemoglobin was dangerously low."

The actor was admitted to Kokilaben Dirubhai Ambani Hospital for six days. His condition has improved.

Interestingly, the producers only relented when Anurag Kashyap intervened. Sanjay and Kashyap have been friends for over 18 years. Sanjay has acted in some of Kashyap's films.

"When Anurag found out about my condition, he came to see me and also called up my producer and channel people.

I don't know what he told them, but they instantly changed my track and sent my character on a holiday. I am so thankful to Anurag for helping me," reveals Sanjay.

TV actors have long been complaining that their producers show little sympathy towards them even when they are ill.

In this particular case, too, Sanjay rues, "My producers haven't bothered to check on my health, and I've worked with them for two and a half years. I will decide whether or not to resume shooting once I am better."

Producer of the show Rajan Shahi, however, gets defensive. He says, "Nobody has ever had an issue with us.

When Kashyap called me and said Rajan was not well, I made all the necessary arrangements of scrapping the four episodes we had shot.

We have gone out of the way to cooperate with him. I have full sympathies for his condition. But if he is blaming us for falling ill, it's very sad."

A TV actor (on condition of anonymity) says, "Things have improved a lot after the strict rules set by the Cine & TV Artistes' Association (Cintaa).

They have come up with a rule that no actor will work beyond 12 hours. Only the actors who are not the members of this association are exploited or treated badly."