For television actress Mala Sharma, going to the washroom regularly is not a necessity, but a hassle.
For television actress Mala Sharma, going to the washroom regularly is not a necessity, but a hassle. Sharma, who spends 12 hours on the sets every day, decked up in elaborate costumes and jewellery, avoids nature’s call by drastically cutting down on her fluid intake. “The toilets on some sets are ill-maintained. There is also very little privacy with technicians running all over the place,” she said.
Sharma is not alone. Many film and television actresses routinely face lack of proper toilet facilities not just in studios in the city, but also during outdoor shoots across the country.
Industry insiders reveal that having washrooms on the sets is sometimes considered to be an unnecessary expenditure by producers keen on cost cutting.
“The conditions are deplorable — filthy toilets are still fine, sometimes there are no toilets at all,” said a Bollywood actress on the condition of anonymity.
Horror stories abound of actresses and technicians having to control themselves for long periods or having to relieve themselves in the open in the absence of toilets. “I dread outdoor shoots since washrooms for women are the last thing on the list for some producers,” said another leading actress in Bollywood.
Insiders point out that top heroines are still better off since they have their vans and recreational vehicles with proper washroom facilities. “It is usually the second-rung actresses and women technicians on the sets who suffer silently due to the lack of proper or even non-existent toilet facilities,” said an insider familiar with the ways of the film industry.
Film and television actresses get around the problem by limiting their water intake or by retaining urine in the bladder, sometimes for an entire day. Doctors said both these situations lead to the risk of kidney stones or urinary tract infections (UTIs). “Women who do field work are more susceptible since they are the ones who generally don’t have access to clean washrooms,” said Dr Duru Shah, consulting gynaecologist at Jaslok and Breach Candy hospitals.
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