'Extras' Struggle For Cash: Has Starry Bollywood Dimmed?
A month since the big notes ban, junior artists or 'extras' in Bollywood and the Indian television industry are struggling for daily cash. There are over 10,000 registered members with the Junior Artists Association in Mumbai - unofficial estimates peg the number of extras in India at nearly 30,000. Most of these are daily wagers and everyday work is not a guarantee. With the withdrawal of Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 notes, they are unable to run simple errands like buying groceries. "How will we run our families if we're standing in queues?" they ask. With increasing calls for alternate modes of payments, can Bollywood go cashless or is that a distant dream?
