The mounting uproar against the alleged hedonism of Bollywood that began rising to a crescendo after young actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has now reached a stage where even those who have fed off the ‘Bollywood’ myth for years are calling it unflattering names.
Really? I have been to some Bollywood get-togethers with many A-listers present. No one was taking drugs there. I’ve been into the homes of the biggest of stars for years now. They pretty much lead normal middle class lives, with robust kitchens and active puja rooms in their homes. If they take drugs, they do it in privacy. Are we going after people for what they do out of the public domain?
As far as doing drugs is concerned, every high-maintenance industry/organization in India has a section of people that indulges in drugs at some point or the other. That doesn’t make them drug addicts or cowboy junkies, rolling in weed and snorting cocaine. This is the most vile and malicious narrative I’ve ever come across to malign the Indian film industry.
Regrettably, it seems to be gaining credence, as no one from within the film industry is coming forward to protest against this awful slander. The other day I had a heated chat with a top-ranking heroine whose name has been dragged most unnecessarily into the nepo-debate. When she told me that ‘they’(her colleagues) had decided to not say anything at all, I reminded her that silence is usually interpreted as guilt rather than dignity.
“That’s okay. Time will prove the invalidity of this bogus debate. Right now, if we say one thing in our defence, they (the anti-nepotism group) will say five things in retaliation. We are all keeping our heads down, mask up and working hard.”
If no insider is coming forward to defend the film industry, no one is cowering cringing in fear either. Trust me, Karan Johar is not snorting coke and staring at the ceiling fan. He is spending a lot of time with his children and planning projects, many of them with new talent.
Speaking of new talent, has anyone noticed the number of notable contemporary directors who made their debut with Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions? Nikhil Advani, Ayan Mukerjee, Karan Malhotra, Punit Malhotra, Shashank Khaitan, Raj Mehta, Shakun Batra, Sharan Sharma…and so many others.
To dwell any more on the nepotism debate is to feed a monster that is fattening on fabrications. Let the beast lie. Let the lies die.
Image source: SpotboyE archives