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Covid lockdown: Creative professionals in Ludhiana down, but not out
Photographers, actors, painters say their work has no takers in the prevailing situation, but they have not lost hope and are waiting for the situation to normalise to spring back
The lockdown due to the spread of Covid-19 pandemic has changed the ground reality entirely for creative professionals in Ludhiana, with many of them finding that talent has no takers in the prevailing situation.
However, they have not lost hope and are waiting for the situation to normalise.
“I always believed that having a regular job provides one financial security, but this lockdown has taught me this is truly not the case. Now, I have been working on creating more YouTube content to eventually turn the platform into my regular source of income,” said 23-year-old Harmanpreet Kaur, who, like many other artistes, is also waiting for post lockdown days.
Harmanpreet, who has acted in various short movies, said the company, she had been working for, had not paid her for the past two months, and had asked her to work without any incentive.
“Even after several requests, the company didn’t release my salary and asked me to work without pay during lockdown, which I turned down. I also approached my contacts for some acting assignments, but there is no work at all. Now, I’m spending most of my time creating content for YouTube and Instagram. My goal is to gain more followers, so that I can get my channel monetised soon,” said Harmanpreet, who is now creating beauty videos for online audiences.
Like Harmanpreet, several other independent artistes have been forced to be dependent on their families.
Thirty two-year-old Puneet Dharni, a Dugri-based photographer, said there was no demand for photography at present.
“People just need essential items. Photography and paintings are of no value. Even the industries, which were our major clients, are struggling to somehow pay salaries to their employees. There is hardly any work for product photographers,” said Puneet.
“But, I am paying salary to all my eight team members, including photographers, videographers and designers, from my personal savings,” he added.
“They are my team members and I can’t ditch them at this time. I have somehow managed to pay them for March and April, but I have no idea how I will manage to pay them for May,” he added.
Similarly, Rupa Arora, who runs a painting academy near Pakhowal Road, said she had been reaching out to architects for work, but in vain.
“Conducting an exhibition of my paintings just after the lockdown will not be possible due to the social distancing rule. I have been contacting architects if they have any painting jobs for interiors,” said Arora.
Arora, whose specialises in mixed media art, said she had been spending time creating abstract art for bringing positivity in her life during this difficult time.
“Instead of artwork on the pandemic, I’m focusing on light art. Creating abstract art always makes me happy. These days, I’m practising a new form of mixed media with metal relief and coffee colours. I hope this pandemic ends soon and artists like me can share their works with the world,” she added.
