Hiten Tejwani reveals he worked 22-hour days for a month, getting paid Rs 1 lakh; says, 'I once dozed off while driving'

Working in the entertainment industry, especially in television, is often seen as glamorous, but behind the scenes, it can be extremely demanding. Actor Hiten Tejwani, who has spent over 25 years in the industry, recently shared how challenging his journey has been.

In a candid conversation with Siddharth Kannan on his podcast, Hiten opened up about his long and tiring work hours, financial struggles in the early years, and how difficult it was for his family and colleagues to keep up with his schedule.Talking about his early days in television, Hiten said he has worked tirelessly since the beginning of his career. “I have worked very hard all throughout the 25 years that I have been a part of this industry.

When I started working, the only time I went home was to just freshen up. I hired many drivers, and they all ran away because they couldn’t handle my hours. I used to drive myself, and I would constantly doze off while driving.

One day I even hit the car into a divider, but nothing happened by the grace of God,” he recalled.Hiten also spoke about the financial struggles he faced during his initial years. Despite playing lead roles, his pay did not increase much.

“I used to get Rs 1000 a day for Sukanya, and we used to shoot for 12 days in a month. Similarly, I did not demand a lot when I worked in Kutumb, and even though I was the main lead, my fees didn’t go up by much,” he shared.The actor also remembered the first time he received a big cheque, a moment that stayed with him forever. “For 30 days, I did 30 extra shifts, and I remember going to get the cheque myself. The cheque was for Rs 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 is no telling how long I would have had to wait for reaching a figure like that,” he said.However, the actor admitted that while the pay was satisfying, the working hours were brutal and unpredictable. Explaining the concept of double shifts, he said, “Our schedule would always say 9 am to 9 pm, but it would always end up going to 5 am, and then our next shift would sometimes start at 7 am. 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.

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