Sooraj Barjatya agrees to Rupali Ganguly’s National Award demand for TV artistes: ‘Actors still get breathers in films’ | Bollywood

Recently, television actor Rupali Ganguly called for National Awards to recognise television actors too, arguing that they work just as hard as film actors. Now, in an interview with Telly Talk India, filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya has responded to her demand and expressed his agreement, adding that the National Awards should also consider television actors.

Sooraj Barjatya says TV actors should be considered for National Awards.

Reacting to Rupali Ganguly’s demand, Sooraj said he agreed with her and added, “I believe they should. TV is an art form, and it demands immense hard work. If you visit a TV set, you’ll see – it’s a minimum of 12–14 hours of continuous work. In films, actors still get breathers, but in TV, actors must continuously live their roles, and directors must constantly shoot under restrictions, yet create something touching. If I were asked to direct one episode, I’d take a week! So yes, National Awards should include television actors.”

What Rupali Ganguly said

While speaking to paparazzo Viral Bhayani, Rupali said, “There are National Awards for everyone from film stars to content creators. But there’s nothing for TV artistes. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, others had the advantage of delaying their shooting schedules, but we kept working. When a film star works continuously, it makes headlines. But no one talked about how we, the TV artists, worked non-stop from 6 am to 6 pm during the pandemic. I request the government to consider us also. We work very hard; it would be nice to have some validation.”

Meanwhile, Sooraj Barjatya’s Rajshri Productions has returned to television after five years with the show Manpasand Ki Shaadi. The story revolves around Aarohi Shinde (Esha Suryawanshi), who challenges her family’s traditional approach to marriage and expresses her desire to choose her own life partner. The show explores the clash between tradition and modernity, along with the complexities of family and societal pressures. Actor Akshun Mahajan plays the male lead.

Rupali, on the other hand, continues to shine in and as Anupamaa. Produced by Rajan Shahi, the show premiered in 2020 and quickly became one of the most-watched serials on Indian television. Anupamaa continues to be a fan favourite, consistently topping the TRP charts.