Shiv Panditt on discrimination: I was dropped from a film at last minute citing “I was overexposed” as a television actor

Post Sushant Singh Rajput, sparked the debate on nepotism, favouritism and groupism in the industry. Some actors have even shared their own experiences of being replaced from movies or projects. Recently, we spoke to ‘Khuda Haafiz’ actor Shiv Panditt and asked him if he had ever faced favouritism in the industry. He said he was once dropped from a movie and he had faced many rejections in the industry but all these didn’t let him down.

Shiv said, “I can tell you from my own experience, I was doing a popular show ‘FIR’ in 2006 and during that time, I was offered a film as a lead. We went through various workshops and rehearsals. Finally, when the day came to sign the film, the director told me ‘You never told me your work in television’. I said, ‘What is there to hide. It’s all over the place’. He said that I am overexposed and I really felt hurt about that.”

Shiv feels that things have changed now. “Those years there was a dichotomy between film and television. It’s not there anymore and today people are gazed on their merit and how they act. In fact, so many people who work in television also work in films and vice versa and they keep going back and forth,” he said.

Talking about favouritism, he said, “On a very basic level, it’s a private industry and private money. It’s not a government body where you have to select a talented and deserving people representative. So, technically the person who is the producer of the movie has the right to choose who he wants and when he wants, It’s his prerogative. Having said that, it hurts the person when after working hard for months, he gets replaced.”

You can watch his interview here.

Shiv further said, “Earlier I used to get depressed and feel down. Then I realised that by feeling down and depressed, I am wasting my time. For me after doing a commercial film like ‘Boss’ in 2013, I have done films and web series, I didn’t get commercial films but If I had cried saying ‘this is nepotism’, I don’t think I would be speaking to you now. I kept on improving on my craft and making myself seasoned and experienced,  and I got ‘Khuda Haafiz’ today. Keep your head down and work hard. Be positive and keep working forward.”

He added, “I completely empathize with them who stand in queues and give auditions. I want to say that I have been through all these. If you really want to make it in the industry, you can’t have a Plan B. Just do whatever it takes to make it happen. If it’s written for you to be an actor, you will be an actor. Of course, be practical in life. I have been working for 17 years. I have a long way to way. Even today I get rejected.”

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Also Read: Shiv Panditt: The nation is grieving as Sushant Singh Rajput made a huge impact within the entertainment industry