'Worst job...of life': US creator recalls working on 'Kal Ho...'
What's the story
The 2003 Bollywood classic Kal Ho Naa Ho, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, and Saif Ali Khan, remains one of Indian cinema's most beloved films. However, an American content creator recently claimed, "I worked on the film Kal Ho Naa Ho, and it was so bad that I ended up switching careers." Ash Cantley made these revelations during a recent TikTok Creator Summit in New York City.
Career switch
She was paid $75 a day
Cantley, a television producer and celebrity executive with over two decades of experience, revealed that she earned only $75 (over ₹6,000) a day while working 12 to 17-hour shifts. She worked as a set designer and spent most of her time redesigning an 'abandoned' diner that was full of filth. "It was the worst job of my life. I was severely underpaid. I'll never do that again," she said in her video.
Gender pay gap
Male employees were allegedly paid more than she was
Cantley also alleged that male employees were paid more than she. "I think the men got paid $125 (over ₹10,000)." "I accepted it because I was young, dumb and desperate to get in the industry." She added, "I am not angry about it; in fact, most jobs in production were like that, and we were paid peanuts."
Industry critique
Cantley defended Bollywood amid backlash
In response to criticism over her claims, Cantley said she had no proof beyond her IMDb page, as she didn't own a camera phone back then. She also defended Bollywood against accusations of unfair pay, saying Hollywood has similar issues, too. Kal Ho Naa Ho was Nikkhil Advani's directorial debut and was produced by Yash Johar under Dharma Productions.