Hiten Tejwani recalls early TV career struggles, reveals ‘slept on set floors, ended up working for 22 hours'

Hiten Tejwani known for his role in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi

Popular television actor Hiten Tejwani, who is best known for his roles in Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kasautii Zindagii Kay, and Pavitra Rishta, recently addressed the demanding work schedules in the business and how they have occasionally been required to work nonstop.

During a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan, Hiten talked about working 22-hour shifts and even sleeping on the studio floor.

Hiten has worked in television for more than 25 years. He has recently revealed that he barely went to his house when he first started out.

He revealed that he had to drive himself to the sets after a number of his drivers quit due to his inconsistent work schedule. He even fell asleep while driving once, unintentionally slamming his vehicle into a divider.

While recalling about doing the double shifts for an entire month while working on the TV show Kutumb, Hiten said, “For 30 days, I did 30 extra shifts, and I remember going to get the cheque myself. The cheque was for Rs 1 lakh, and it made me so happy.”

He added, “I thought to myself that if I had gone towards a traditional job, my hours would have been easier, but there’s no telling how long I would have had to wait to reach a figure like that.”

The actor also recalled sleeping on the floor of the set.

He said, “Our schedule would always say 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., but it would always end up going till 5 a.m., and then our next shift would sometimes start at 7 a.m. So I ended up working for 22 hours. Some of the crew members used to take down the lights on purpose so that I could get some sleep, and I used to sleep right there on the floor of the set.”

Also Read: Jannat Zubair supports friend Ashnoor Kaur, slams Bigg Boss 19 housemates for body shaming: "A person’s body is not public property…’

About Hiten Tejwani’s projects

Hiten Tejwani kicked off his career with a supporting role in Ghar Ek Mandir, which premiered in 2000. He went on to star in Sukanya and Kabhii Sautan Kabhii Sahelii. He bagged his first major breakthrough in Kutumb.

Hiten became a household name with his performances in hit serials like Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Kkusum, Kkavyanjali, Balika Vadhu and Kasautii Zindagii Kay.

Hiten Tejwani recently made a comeback with Smriti Irani’s Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2.