Updated: May 19, 2022

When Nizar came in to shoot for the Kiya Paisa Asaan Hai series, he spoke readily about his savings. He described the different methods he uses to make sure that his expenditure is limited and that he is able to put some money aside every month.
He spoke proudly about all the various alternative streams of income he has been able to tap into - as an NLP practitioner, as a musician, a digital marketer and a life coach - and recounted how he does his ‘hisaab’ when his savings are running low; how he sets a goal for an amount he wants to earn in 90 days and determines which of his skills he can use, how much he must work, to achieve it.
He gave us the impression that he is - and always has been - financially savvy and confident. An hour into his shoot, however, he allowed himself to talk about how his relationship with money has evolved over time. He spoke about the turning point in his financial journey: a time when his father was admitted in the hospital and Nizar did not have the financial means to afford his treatment. He told us about how he had reached out to people around him for help but to no avail; how, at that moment, he felt lonely.
At 32, Nizar carries the responsibility of providing for his family and ensuring that he is financially able to do so. His anxiety and burden is similarly experienced by men across the country who, because of women’s exclusion from financial matters, are primarily considered the income-earners and bread-winners in their households. The emotions that Nizar experienced - pressure, anxiety, loneliness - are common but they are not acknowledged often or spoken about openly.