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Bigg Boss 14 EXCLUSIVE: Shardul Pandit on struggles, financial issues: Went into a phase where I locked myself
Shardul Pandit, who is currently locked in the Bigg Boss 14 house, speaking to us exclusively, recounted the lows he has seen and shared how he has learnt to be grounded from the experience.
Shardul Pandit is currently inside the Bigg Boss 14 house and is slowly and steadily making a space for himself. The actor who started as a VJ and later turned to act had his share of ups and downs. Before the lockdown, the actor had posted about facing a tough time which forced him to leave the city. Amid financial lows, no work, health deteriorating because of steroid consumption, and dealing with mother’s chemotherapy, Shardul hit the lowest of lowest but has become a wise man today. Before entering the house, the actor shared his heart gutting story with us.
Speaking to us exclusively, Shardul recounted the lows he has seen and shared how he has learnt to be grounded from the experience. “I was a boy who was 110 kg, radio jockey in Indore when I participated in a talent show and won there. Then I went back to the radio and later acting happened. I had this confidence, to the point of being overconfident that I can do anything. That happens to people who achieve too much out of their weaknesses. I was wrong and I think life decided to teach me a lesson.” He continued, “After doing some work, I left for Dubai. When I lived there, I was the number one radio jockey and everybody said don’t do it as the industry has changed but I said I am going to do it and I think I was working from a place of arrogance, although it was working in my favour. I did come back after years and became a lead and become a VJ, host BCL, so everyone was feeding it to me that you can do anything. And that I think was a wrong thing I did to myself. You need to be grounded and life taught me that when my show Kuldeepak got over suddenly, my money got stuck for a year and a half and I thought it will be okay but it did not get okay. Initially, you are okay for 3-4 months, but then it gets to you.”
He reiterated that the experience humbled him. “It was important for me to go through that because now I am a humble person, now I am somebody who doesn’t think that the world revolves around me, which was the case.”
He revealed the lows he faced, from financial crunch to dealing with mother’s bad health and personal issues. He also underwent several health problems after he went on steroids for a role. “At that time, every bad thing that could have happened to me happened. I was prepping up for a web show where I was supposed to do intimate scenes, so I had to go on steroids because I was a thin boy. I went onto steroids and it went wrong and I was diagnosed with jaundice, doctors couldn’t diagnose it at the right time and then relapse happened. At the same time, I was going through a financial crunch and my mom was going through chemotherapy, everything that can go wrong, and then lockdown happened. “
I was prepping up for a web show where I was supposed to do intimate scenes, so I had to go on steroids because I was a thin boy.
Shardul Pandit
“The decision of leaving was not from the place of heartbreak but wisdom. I decided to cut down my expenses till the moment I start earning again, I started looking for jobs, I called people in production, radio, call centres as well. I spoke to apps who were paying me 10 K to make videos for a month. My mother went through a bad time too but God showed me that even though this darkness something nice can happen. Recently, two opportunities came my way, one is Bigg Boss and another is something I have signed up and can’t reveal right now,” an overwhelmed Shardul elaborated.
When asked how did he cope up with the financial and emotional hiccups, simultaneously, Shardul added, “It is not a happy situation. I am no hero, I coped up with anxiety, I coped with tears, I went into a phase where I locked myself up. People have this perception that I have so many friends which I had but there came a point where I was too ashamed to meet anybody because people would call me to watch a movie but I was like if I spend 350 on this movie, what do I do next? And as an actor, you have to go to auditions and events looking good, or decent and I didn’t have that money. I didn’t have money to go for protein shakes.”
Shardul prompted, “In BB too I am going without protein shake, Karan Patel wanted to order it but I stopped him because this is my reality and people need to see it.” He also questioned the need for actors on TV to bulk up for roles. “I don’t understand why do actors need to bulk up? Even if you are playing a lover boy why do we need abs? It is stupid. People need to change and only actors can do it. In India, how we have a movement for nobody shaming for women, why isn’t it there for men? Why is the hero supposed to look like a duplicate of each other? That added pressure was what forced me to take steroids. We have enough examples of actors who are thin but brilliant but on TV, I don’t know why there is this perception?”
“I had shame, embarrassment, I had my flatmate who was like my brother, I would tell him if he wants me to cook and clean so we can save money for maid and I could contribute. I have seen a phase where I could earn as much as what a Star Plus or Colors lead would and from that to this, it was difficult. I had no medicine to buy my medicines, it was people like Karan Patel and Ankita Bhargava who would find ways to help me,” he expressed.
Watch Shardul's full interview here:
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