Television actors have often spoken about the gruelling working hours in the industry and how, at times, they have had to work without breaks. In a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan, actor Hiten Tejwani, best known for Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kasautii Zindagii Kay and Pavitra Rishta, opened up about working 22-hour shifts and even sleeping on the studio floor.
Hiten Tejwani on television’s gruelling working hours
Having been a part of the television industry for over 25 years, Hiten revealed that when he first started out, he barely went home, only returning to freshen up before heading back to shoot. He shared that several of his drivers quit because of his erratic work timings, forcing him to drive himself to the sets. Once, he even dozed off at the wheel, accidentally hitting his car against a divider.
The actor also recalled doing double shifts for an entire month while working in the show Kutumb, saying, “For 30 days, I did 30 extra shifts, and I remember going to get the cheque myself. The cheque was for ₹1 lakh, and it made me so happy. I thought to myself that if I had gone towards a traditional job, my hours would have been easier, but there’s no telling how long I would have had to wait to reach a figure like that.”
Hiten further reminisced about sleeping on the floor of the set and added, “Our schedule would always say 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., but it would always end up going till 5 a.m., and then our next shift would sometimes start at 7 a.m. So I ended up working for 22 hours. Some of the crew members used to take down the lights on purpose so that I could get some sleep, and I used to sleep right there on the floor of the set.”
About Hiten Tejwani
Hiten began his career with supporting roles in shows such as Sukanya, Ghar Ek Mandir, and Kabhii Sautan Kabhii Sahelii, but his first major breakthrough came with Kutumb. He soon became a household name with memorable performances in hit serials like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kkusum, Kkavyanjali, Balika Vadhu and Kasautii Zindagii Kay.
He later participated in Bigg Boss 11, where he won hearts with his strong personality and charming demeanour.
Most recently, Hiten appeared in the reboot of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, which marked Smriti Irani’s return to television after 12 years. Smriti and Amar Upadhyay reprised their iconic roles as Tulsi and Mihir Virani, with Hiten portraying Karan Virani and Gauri as Nandini Virani. The reboot also features new cast members including Rohit Suchanti, Tanisha Mehta, Shagun Sharma and Aman Gandhi, who play the second-generation characters.
