Vikrant Massey’s announcement about taking a hiatus from films just when he’s at the top of his game has shocked many. Others who have taken the plunge say it’s okay to pause; the best is yet to come—break ke baad
Vidhya A Thakkar on a break after losing her fiancé in October. Pic/Nimesh Dave
Recalibrate” was the word actor Vikrant Massey used in his now viral post from December 1, announcing that he was stepping away from the silver screen.
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His note sent shock waves across the entertainment industry, especially with the actor still riding the high of 12th Fail’s box office and critical success. What Massey might not have expected, though, was becoming a poster boy of sorts for an increasing number of adults calling it quits and taking a career break while at the top of their game.
Sarita Tanwar and Vikrant Massey
His Instagram post read, “The last few years and beyond have been phenomenal. I thank each and every one of your for your indelible support.
But as I move forward, I realise it’s time to recalibrate and go back home. As a husband, father and a son. And also an actor…”
William D’Souza
The post has amassed over three lakh likes and over 9,000 comments, including messages of support from Massey’s contemporaries, such as actor Dia Mirza (@diamirzaofficial): “Breaks are best, you’ll be even more amazing on the other side.” Others expressed bewilderment at the timing of the announcement, such as @agrishavculture, who writes, “Bro you are at peak... why do you think like this.”
It turns out, though, that Massey is not the only one who feels the need to take a break and recalibrate.
Amit Jadhav has taken to one of this original passions of nature photography. Pic/Anurag Ahire
Take Amit Jadhav, 48, who quit a high-paying job in the human resources department of a multinational corporation after 25 years of working non-stop to support his family from when he was just 2. ““I have been on a break since September 2, 2022,” says the Mulund resident.
“Back in 1997, we had lost our father suddenly and I got his job in the BMC. Before that, I was studying Botany and [my life] was headed in a completely different direction, life got in the way,” Jadhav recalls. What followed was the pressure of being the family’s breadwinner, ensuring his elder sister’s marriage into a good home and, finally, tying the knot himself. There were many points when he wanted to slow down and reassess his future, but “life got in the way”, he says.
Tushar Khese, managing partner, Scripbox
What eventually tipped him over the edge was a stressful workplace. “The last two years [before the break] were tough. It was not the kind of workplace where I felt productive or was treated well. The humiliation got to me and the work hours—beginning from 7 am and ending late into the night—led to burnout,” adds Jadhav.
As per a 2023 study by McKinsey Health Institute, which surveying more than 30,000 employees across 30 countries, India has the highest frequency of burnout—59 per cent of Indian respondents stated they experience burnout symptoms, compared to the global average of 22 per cent.
Shrishti Sugla is on a break since March this year. Pic/Satej Shinde
For some, it’s grief that forces them to take a pause. It was to prepare for her dream wedding that Vidhya A Thakkar, 29, had taken a break in August from her work as a book blogger. Then, with less than a month to the big day on November 17, her dreams came crashing down.
“After losing my loved one, it’s been difficult to get back to work,” says Thakkar, a resident of Kandivli. She rushed to the hospital and stayed by his side until the 31-year-old breathed his last 12 hours later.
The blogger is now taking the time to process the loss. “I am taking things one day at a time. I want to allow myself more time to heal before fully immersing myself in work again,” she says.
A study conducted earlier this year by US bereavement assistance portal empathy.com, titled The Cost of Dying, found that grief continues to affect employees for 10 months, well after they have returned to work—if they do. The researchers, who surveyed over 200 HR professionals in the US, also found that 20 per cent of grieving employees had trouble concentrating at work. Of those, 18 per cent felt they were less productive, nine per cent felt that their professional reputation was vulnerable as a result of this, and seven per cent were afraid of losing their jobs.
Fortunately, Thakkar’s clients have been kind enough to give her the space and time she needs. “Thankfully, my clients have been incredibly supportive told me that there is no rush, they’ve extended deadlines, reduced follow-ups, and shown great understanding of my mental state],” she says, “Making content for YouTube or Instagram might look easy or frivolous to some, but anyone involved in content creation knows it is a brutal industry.”
In content marketer and strategist Shrishti Sugla’s case, the constant stress of the industry took a toll on her physical health, prompting her to hit the reset button. In March this year, the 31-year-old went to the doctor after months of unceasing fatigue. Her blood work was alarming. “I lacked Vitamin D, B12, iron—you name it,” says Sugla, who has been on a complete break since.
“The doctor told me it was a wonder that I had made it through the last few gruelling weeks [before the break],” she says, speaking of a frenetic month of juggling a friend’s wedding preparations along with a project she was closing for a client.
For William D’Souza, it was more about doing good. The former journalist had recently switched to corporate communication, but decided to take a break in September. “I wanted to give back to the community,” says the Nerul resident who joined The Rotary Club of Navi Mumbai, NaMastu.
“Social work has kept me so busy that my family often says that they see me less when I was doing an actual job. I feel it’s a different kind of work, and I am glad I took it, but at the same time but, at the same time, I have to be pragmatic. I can’t go on forever without an income. So, I’ll look at taking up a job again in about a couple of month,” he chuckles over the phone.
But how to explain the gap in one’s resume? There’s no cause for embarrassment: You are not alone. In 2022, LinkedIn conducted a survey of 23,000 users and found that 62 per cent have taken a career break at some point. Another 35 per cent said they would be interested in one in the future.
In response to this, the platform rolled out its “Career Break” feature, allowing members to indicate a pause in their work history for up to 13 reasons, including bereavement, full-time parenting, career transition and travel.
The professional networking site’s move was aimed at destigmatising career breaks. While announcing the new feature, LinkedIn also revealed that 51 per cent employers (among users on the site) were also more likely call a recruitment candidate back if they knew the context of why they had taken a career break in the past.
Managing money is a key component that all sabbatical-takers emphasise on. Jadhav, who quit his corporate HR job, believes in good old fixed deposits to tide over the no-income period. Also consider paying off any loans, if possible. Jadhav adds that he only considered going break after getting done with his home loan in 2019.
“I prioritised economic stability ensuring negligible financial reliance on my spouse, which I have done, by and large,” he says.
Others, like recuperating Sugla and the grieving Thakkar, have their parents to lean on.
Tushar Khese, managing partner at investment planning platform Scripbox, is the voice of financial reason for many. “Most people who decide to take a break either have a passive income or a robust investment portfolio or low financial responsibilities,” he says.
“The general practice is to maintain liquid assets sufficient to cover six to nine months of expenses in addition to annual expenses like insurance premium payments,” he advises.
Still nervous about taking the plunge and how it will impact your future? The trick may lie in looking at it as an opportunity for growth. A study in published in the Harvard Business Review in 2023, conducted by the US-based The Sabbatical Project (which is among the world’s first organisations to conduct focused research on non-academic sabbatical-takers), stated that most of the participants surveyed had continued to work on their own passion projects, whether that was gig work, or developing new skills and getting certifications or testing out ideas for a career switch.
We speak to Sarita Tanwar, who completely changed the trajectory of her career—from journalist and author to producer of shows such as Broken But Beautiful and Never Kiss Your Best Friend. But when she went on her break, it was for a very different reason initially. “I was on a break for over two years. I took time off because of a health issue of a now departed family member. And it’s a heavy thing,” she says.
“Initially, I loved that I didn’t have an office to go to every day. The luxury of not living by the clock is something everyone should experience,” she says. But she is quick to add that it’s not for everyone. “The restlessness set in pretty quick,” she adds, “I read a lot of scripts. I watched a lot of films. I travelled. The thing I missed most was a creative outlet. My advice to anyone on a break is to make the most of it… Use the time to do things you enjoy that you otherwise don’t have time for. Stay positive and maybe enhance your craft,” she adds.
62%
of respondents in a 2022 LinkedIn survey said they have taken a career break
59%
Indian respondents say they are experiencing burnout symptoms
*Source: 2023 survey by McKinsey Health Institute
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