Bollywood camera assistant was forced to sell momos in lockdown

Since last year's coronavirus lockout, Suchismita Routray, a young camera assistant from Bollywood, has been unemployed. She returned to her hometown of Cuttack in Odisha, where she now selling momos for her living, having run out of options in Mumbai.

Suchismita, who is 22 and has worked in the film industry for six years, described how she was left in Mumbai with no one to support her until actors Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan stepped in. 

She said, "I couldn't afford to return home because I didn't have enough money. Thankfully, Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan contributed to the return of our entire crew to their respective hometowns."

She started selling momos after returning home and the momos recipe she had learned from her Mumbai roommate. Her stall in Cuttack's Jhanjirimangala which pays her $300-400 per day.

Many small-time workers in the film and television industries were seriously impacted by the pandemic. Many filmmakers are also hesitant to invest in new ventures because audiences are still sceptical of going to the movies.