Actor Arjun Bijlani talks about the demanding working hours in the television industry, recalling exhausting shoot schedules and why shorter shifts aren’t practical.
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Actor Arjun Bijlani, one of the most recognisable faces on Indian television, has spoken candidly about the demanding working hours in the TV industry, describing them as “extremely difficult” and often underestimated.
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In an exclusive conversation with IANS, the actor reflected on how a standard 12-hour shift rarely remains limited to just those hours once preparation time, overtime, and travel are factored in.
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Explaining the reality behind daily shoot schedules, Arjun pointed out that the day often starts much earlier than the official call time. For a 9 am shift, actors need to wake up by 7 am and leave for work by 8 am. Female actors, he added, are frequently called even earlier due to the time-intensive makeup process.
“Shooting usually goes on till 9 pm or even later,” Arjun shared, adding that removing makeup and costumes takes additional time. “After that, you still have to battle traffic while returning home, which makes the day even longer.”
‘The same routine repeats every day’
The actor highlighted how the exhaustion compounds because the schedule remains unchanged the next day. With little time to rest or recover, the routine becomes mentally and physically draining over time.
Recalling earlier days in his career, Arjun said there were times when he ended up working 35 days in a 30-day month once extra hours were accounted for. “It used to be very, very difficult — mentally and physically,” he admitted.
While acknowledging that the workload was harsher in the past, Arjun noted that things have improved slightly over the years. According to him, many producers now make an effort to wrap up shoots within the stipulated 12-hour window.
“Earlier, shoots would go on for 14, 15, even 18 hours. That has reduced now,” he said.
When asked whether television should move towards an 8-hour workday, Arjun explained why that isn’t technically feasible.
“If you’re doing a seven-day-a-week telecast, finishing work in eight hours is almost impossible,” he said, adding that shorter shifts would inevitably affect the quality of the final output. “If you want to deliver quality content, you have to put in those 12 hours.”
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