Actor Karan Khandelwal ‘forced’ to return to hometown in Kerala due to financial woes, drives 1400 km

Television actor Karan Khandelwal, who was getting by with financial help from his family, drove back to his home in Kerala due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Television actor Karan Khandelwal, who has acted in shows such as Siddhi Vinayak and Saath Nibhana Saathiya, returned to his hometown in Kerala due to the coronavirus pandemic. He was not only finding it difficult to get essentials due to the surge in cases in his area but was also struggling with bills.

Saath Nibhana Sathiya actor Karan Khandelwal says he has returned to his hometown in Kerala.

In an interview with The Times of India, he said, “Mumbai is one of the majorly affected cities in the country. There was a surge in Covid-19 cases around my area. I couldn’t even arrange food and other necessities for myself. Plus, it was getting difficult to meet other expenses as well.”

Karan chose to drive all the way to Kerala instead of taking a flight. “I had been living in Mumbai for several years, but the current situation forced me to leave the city and drive back to my hometown. I drove my car for almost 1,400 kms to reach home,” he said.

There is a 90-day payment clause in the contracts of most television actors, which means that cheques are cleared three months after the shoot. Karan said that he was able to get by with financial assistance from his family. He added that he would not receive immediate payment for any new project due to the 90-day system.

“My family has been helping me with finances. Before the lockdown, I had shot for a web show and they immediately cleared my payment, which was helpful. But apart from that, I have many other pending dues from other projects. Now, even if I join a new show, I won’t get the payment for a couple of months. So, it was a better option to return home,” he said.

Recently, television actors Shardool Kunal Pandit and Rajesh Kareer left for their respective hometowns as work dried up during the lockdown and they were struggling with finances. The cast and crew of the serial Hamari Bahu Silk raised a stink over the alleged non-payment of dues for months and threatened to commit suicide.

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