US influencer calls working on Shah Rukh Khan’s Kal Ho Naa Ho the “worst job” of her life, reveals being underpaid! : Bollywood News

The iconic 2003 Bollywood film Kal Ho Naa Ho, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, and Saif Ali Khan, remains beloved worldwide. However, a US-based influencer and content creator Ash Cantley has claimed to have had a bad experience while working on the film.

US influencer calls working on Shah Rukh Khan’s Kal Ho Naa Ho the “worst job” of her life, reveals being underpaid!

Ash, who has two decades of experience as a TV producer and celebrity executive, claimed in a viral Instagram video how her time working on the film's sets was so negative that it ultimately led her to switch careers. She said that she was a set designer on Kal Ho Naa Ho, tasked with painstakingly redesigning a diner set that she described as “abandoned” and “filthy”. She further said that the workdays were gruelling, lasting between 12 and 17 hours, for which she was paid a mere $75 (about Rs 6,000) per day.

Ash also claimed a significant pay disparity on the sets: male colleagues reportedly earned around $125 (approximately Rs 11,000) per day, nearly double her wage. Calling the experience "terrible" and "the worst job of my life," Ash said the underpayment and harsh conditions left a lasting impact on her.

She explained that when she accepted the job, she was young, desperate, and eager to break into the industry, but looking back, she described the job conditions as “unacceptable”. The film’s creator, Nikkhil Advani, reportedly described the project to her as being akin to the "Titanic of American films," underscoring its grandeur, though the set work felt anything but glamorous to Ash.

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A post shared by Ash Cantley| Talk Pop To Me (@ashcantley)

Despite the challenges she faced, Ash clarified she does not harbor resentment but wants to highlight the tough realities behind some production roles, especially for women.

Also Read: Preity Zinta talks about her personal connection to Kal Ho Naa Ho’s heartbreaking climax; says, “My first love died in a car crash, so this film always hits differently for me”