What TV actors do with the first pay cheque

NEW DELHI - Some bought gifts for the family, some splurged on themselves and some just handed the money over to their parents - TV actors like Gaurav Chopra, Ragini Khanna and Nausheen Ali Sardar share fond memories of their first pay cheque, varying from Rs.2,000 to Rs.200,000.

IANS spoke to quite a few small screen actors about what they did after receiving their first salary.

Jay Bhanushali, currently co-hosting “Meethi Choori No. 1″ with Shabir Ahluwalia, said: My first pay cheque was for Rs.8,000. I was 20 years old and had shot for a television advertisement, where I had a small part to play.

“First, I donated some part of my salary at a temple, then I bought a lot of gifts for my family. Out of that Rs.8,000 I just kept Rs.500 for myself and partied with my friends thereafter.”

Gaurav Chopra, currently seen in “Uttaran”, has special memories of his first salary.

“My first pay cheque was for Rs.200,000 when I was a part of the TV show ‘Saara Akash’ in 2004. I have special memories of that because the day I got my cheque, I got the news that my sister had given birth to a girl. So the happiness attached to it just doubled. I immediately flew down to Delhi, bought lots of gifts and even a handycam with which I could record all that the baby did.”

Nausheen Ali Sardar, popularly known for her lead role in the hit television series “Kkusum”, revealed that her first pay cheque was for Rs.2,800.

“I had organised a fashion show in my college for which I got paid Rs.2,800. I immediately went home and gave it to my mother,” she said.

Bhairavi Raichura, currently seen as Rajni in “Sasural Genda Phool”, says her first salary was Rs.2,000 for “Hum Paanch” in which she played one of the five sisters - Kajal, a tomboy who wished she were born as a son to her parents.

“I was in Class 10 when I joined ‘Hum Paanch’. My first salary from the show was Rs.2,000. At that time I didn’t know what to do with the money; so I went and gave it to my father. Till date my father has been looking after my finances.”

Bhairavi’s “Sasural Genda Phool” co-star and protagonist of the show, Ragini Khanna, got her first pay cheque when she was in Class 7.

“I sang in a chorus and I got Rs.3,000. Out of those Rs.3,000, I gave Rs.1,500 to my mother and with the rest I got a nice outfit for myself for my brother’s birthday,” she said.

Supriya Pilgaonkar doesn’t remember the exact amount printed on her first pay cheque and says: “I don’t remember how much it was as it was almost 25 years back. At that time we used to get paid on a daily basis. I must have saved that money.”

Actor Harshad Chopra, who is currently seen in Ekta Kapoor’s “Taryay Liyay”, said: “My first salary was Rs.9,000, which I had received for my show ‘Mamta’. Since I was alone in Mumbai all that money just went into spending on my basic needs.”

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who started his acting career with television serial “Fauji”, revealed in his tweet a few months ago that his first salary was just Rs.50.

“I earned my first salary ushering for a Pankaj Udhas concert in Delhi Rs.50. Took a train and saw Taj Mahal with the money,” he had written.

(Priyanka Sharma can be contacted at priyanka.s@ians.in)