Rampant Suicides In Television Industry, Voices React

Another television actor  Akshat  Utkarsh recently committed  suicide. This is  the  latest in an alarming string  of  suicides of financially-emotionally depressed  individuals  in  the  Indian television  industry. Big names from television react.

Shekhar Suman: “Another inexplicable but enormous tragedy and yet again he was from Bihar.It’s the pressure of the times that we are living in  further  pressurized by a demanding    industry.The family suspects foul play but I wonder if the media is going to take up this matter as he was a struggling actor not a celebrity with no pretty girl friend in tow. He is not going to get you TRPson primetime so they wouldn’t want to waste their time  on him, as there is nothing to sensationalize here.”

Ronit Roy:  “1 million people die by suicide every year. In 2020 the number is set to rise to 1.5 million. The reasons range from poverty , bullying, shaming, to impulsiveness  due to substance abuse, to marital discord to debt to traumatic stress caused by various types of failure , to feeble and fragile mental health. Since I do not possess enough education,  wisdom or wherewithal to correct these errors socially or medically I choose to refrain from empty commenting.”

Karanvir Bohra:  “Everyone is going through  a financially tight time , more than 50% television production houses have stalled work .But the most badly hit are the actors. Covid has made them loose hope as they would go for auditions with the hope and  intention of getting work. That’s not there anymore. Television actors and technicians  are starving. The source needs to be addressed.The thinking needs to turn to positivity and hope.”

Iqbal Khan:  “These are tough times ,and  not only for our television industry.A lot of people have lost their jobs. Not that I have anything in my hand and it’s easier said than done but one needs to have mukammal (absolute)faith on our creator and remember this too shall pass.TV industry has only helped add jobs in the already existing industry. So the root cause is not tv or anything else. It’s also about validation these days due to social media . One needs to be very clear and confident about one’s abilities.”