When Rubina Dilaik had to plead for nine months to get her first paycheque for debut TV show: 'Had to sell my house'

Rubina Dilaik was forced to sell her house after not receiving her salary for a television show, despite repeated reminders to her producers.

Actor Rubina Dilaik, who recently won Bigg Boss, had to chase her producers for nine months over unpaid dues. It was for her debut TV show, Chotti Bahu.

Rubina Dilaik bags the Bigg BGoss 14 trophy.(Colors)

Speaking about the non-payment of dues, Rubina told Pinkvilla in a 2019 interview, “I even played double roles in harsh conditions, yet I wasn’t paid my dues for the last three months, which were in lakhs. For nine months, I pleaded for my money, went to the actors association for help, but no one cared or helped apart from [making] big fancy promises. I had to sell off my house and property because I couldn’t pay off my EMIs. After crying my heart out, the production house finally called me up for negotiation."

“Well, this trend (of payment after 90 days) was set long before I got into the industry, and I had to comply because I was fresh off the boat. Later, with understanding of the work ethics and legal knowledge, I realised that almost 90% of the actors, including me, sign one-sided contracts, favouring the production house. Working for over 12 hours, 30 days a month and being paid after 90 days, and in many cases even more than that, isn’t only unethical but is against working laws," the actor added.

The issue of non-payment and late payment to TV actors and technicians was highlighted last year when all shooting had to be stopped because of the pandemic-induced lockdown in March 2020. Several industry figures took up the matter and Cine and TV Artists' Association (CINTAA) also took active measures to ensure that the payments are made in time. Help also poured in for daily wage workers in the industry with big names like Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan and Rohit Shetty donating money for the cause.

On Bigg Boss 14, Rubina remained a favourite with the audience throughout the season. She appeared on the show with her husband, Abhinav Shukla.