Archana Puran Singh Reveals ‘Kanjoos’ Production Houses Provided Limited Rotis In Lunches For Crew Members; Says, “We Used To Call Them Ek Boti, Do Roti”

Sanya Malhotra said that some production houses don’t even provide lunch breaks, while Archana Puran Singh added that such practices reflect a deeper ‘mentality of stinginess.’ Several actors over the years have spoken about the harsh working conditions on film sets. This distinction, they say, often extends into how they are treated, including something as basic as food breaks. Recently, the cast of the new Netflix dramedy Toaster, Rajkummar Rao, Sanya Malhotra, Abhishek Banerjee, and Archana Puran Singh, stated similar concerns.

Archana Puran Singh Reveals Production Houses Provided Kanjoos Lunches For Crew

Sanya Malhotra, in a conversation with News18, highlighted the issue, saying how some production houses don’t even ensure proper meal breaks. “Some production houses don’t even give us lunch breaks.”

Adding to this, Archana Puran Singh said, “They want to pack in as much work as possible. We would have 9 am – 6 pm and 2 pm – 10 pm shifts. These days, shifts span over 12 hours. Even then, they expect us to extend our work hours to 13-14 hours and skip lunch breaks. This is a kind of kanjoosi (stinginess) only. Kanjoosi is a mentality. Phir aap har cheez mein kanjoosi karte ho (Then you become stingy about everything). How can you not let the light men, who hold their equipment and stand under the sun for hours, eat? They don’t have assistants like us bringing them fruits. It’s terrible.”

Archana recalled, “We’ve experienced this a lot. There was a very big production house, which I don’t want to name. We used to call them, ‘Ek boti, do roti.’ (One piece of meat, two pieces of bread). If you ask a crew member about them, they would say, ‘Achcha, yeh toh ek boti, do roti waale hai.’ At the lunch table, the non-vegetarian food served would be very limited. Crew members would be told to only have a certain number of rotis and one serving of the non-vegetarian item.”

Rajkummar Rao, Abhishek Banerjee On Production Houses’ Behaviours

Rajkummar Rao also raised concerns about the lack of structured breaks on set. He said, “I wonder why lunch breaks are not given. If the shoot begins at 12:30 pm, they expect us to keep at it till maybe 3:30 pm. They can instead let everyone have their lunches at 1:30 pm and then resume. They should think about crew members as well. I really don’t get it.”

Abhishek Banerjee pointed out how such small decisions reflect larger attitudes. He said, “Chhoti chhoti cheezon mein na, samajh mein aa jaata hai kanjoosi. Their idea is, isko kyun khilaaye? To save very little money, you’re depriving people.” (In small things itself, you realise the stinginess. The idea is, why feed them?).

Toaster was released on 15th April on Netflix.

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Also Read: Kiku Sharda QUITS The Great Indian Kapil Show Due To Fight With Krushna Abhishek? Archana Puran Singh Breaks Silence

Akankshya Mukherjee

Akankshya Mukherjee is a dynamic and ambitious individual poised to make waves in the realm of Media and Communication. With a passion for creativity and a drive to contribute to forward-thinking organizations, Akankshya embodies adaptability and a hunger for learning. Having already garnered experience through involvement in various organizations, she has honed the skill of quickly adapting to new environments and challenges. She sees each opportunity as a chance for personal and professional growth, eagerly embracing roles in communications and content writing.