In an exclusive conversation with comedian Bharti Singh, Shweta recalled the hustle and bustle of those days and said, "We were famous in the entire industry for the fact that no one slept at all! I myself used to shoot continuously for 72 hours.
The month used to be of 30 days, but I used to get a cheque for 45 days, because the shifts were so long." She also told how there were two shifts in a day - one from morning to 7 pm, and then another from 7 pm to 7 am the next day. Imagine, so much hard work!
Shweta Tiwari also praised television queen Ekta Kapoor. She told that not only the actors, Ekta Kapoor herself used to work equally hard. Shweta said, "Ekta did not sleep, she used to have 22 shows at that time!"
According to Shweta, the specialty of Ekta was that she did not make shows keeping in mind the TRP or liking of the audience. Rather, she used to make shows to fulfill her happiness and creativity.
Recalling Ekta's passion, Shweta said, "Whenever you called Ekta, she would pick up in one ring. She would explain everything and once Ekta explained, you can't go wrong. Whenever she spoke the lines (during rehearsals), it seemed that she was speaking better than you. What enthusiasm she had!"
Shweta Tiwari also emphasised that back then shows were made only for stories and characters, whereas in today's time everything revolves around TRPs. She says that now only that is made which brings in viewers.
Shweta Tiwari's claim that she used to work for 72 hours without sleeping is not common in the television industry, but many actors in the Indian television industry have confirmed long shooting hours and schedules in the past.
Ekta Kapoor's claim of having 22 shows at a time is also possible considering her extensive production activities at the peak of her career. Making shows for TRPs is also a bitter truth of the television industry in today's era.