Sushant Singh Rajput’s Death Changed Bollywood Irreversibly: From The Film Industry Coming Under Intense Scrutiny To The End Of Filmi Camps - OPINION
Bollywood’s bright young star, Sushant Singh Rajput ended his life on June 14, last year. His death left many questions unanswered and put the spotlight on many aspects of the film industry. It sparked off debates and discussions. It also changed the industry in more ways than one.
Bollywood’s bright young star, Sushant Singh Rajput ended his life on June 14, last year. His death left many questions unanswered and put the spotlight on many aspects of the film industry. It sparked off debates and discussions about the challenges faced by rank newcomers in Bollywood and the trials they face. It also changed the film industry in more ways than one.
1. Blind Articles Banned: The unsavoury practice of writing unsubstantiated slanderous stories on stars and escaping legal repercussions by not naming (and yet shaming) the vilified star , stopped with Sushant’s death after his frenzied inconsolable fans dug out a series of defamatory “blind” items on the star. They blamed those blind stories for Sushant’s death. All portals have stopped the ugly practice of blind items.
2. Bollywood Under Scrutiny: Never before had the Indian entertainment industry been so unsparingly under the miscroscope . The once-sacred sacrosanct equation between stars and fans changed overnight. Stars were no longer hero-worshipped, as after Sushant’s sordid end there began a rigorous scrutiny of the ills that plague the film industry, from astronomical star fees to allegations of stars being in touch with drug dealers.
3. End Of Filmy Camps: Whether it was Karan Johar or Mahesh Bhatt, the prolonged era of Raj Durbar (so named because it started with Raj Kapoor’s famous camp summits) came to an inglorious end. If you drop in at Karan’s office you will no longer see young directors and actors bustling around. The place wears a lugubrious look, as if someone died.Someone did, actually.
4. Star Prices Deescalate: 100 crores, 120 crores, 160 crores….no, these are not box-office figures. These are prices actually paid to individual stars. With Sushant’s death audiences rejected the draconian star system. They (rightly) questioned why a handful of stars are paid a massive fortune when they cannot even ensure an impressive opening. Why should Post-Sushant, all the monetary braggadocio came to an end.
5. Bollywood More Welcoming To Outsiders: Was Sushant a victim of nepotism? While the jury is still out on that one, it is true that after his death the industry has become kinder to newcomers, actors who are unconnected to the film industry are more welcome. Karan Johar is all set to launch Lakshya, the first outsider since Siddharth Malhotra to be launched by Johar’s Dharma Productions. Kartik Aaryan is the first superstars from outside the industry since Sushant.
6. Sushant Is A Metaphor: “Don’t do a Sushant on him”…. Or “It feels like a Sushant moment” …every time a non-industry actor is treated badly Sushant’s name is used as a warning. The name Sushant Singh Rajput has become a cautionary metaphor for any producers who dares to plot a newcomer’s downfall. Recently when Kartik Aaryan was bullied by the movie mafia , a protective chorus invoking Sushant’s name was in the air. Long live Sushant.
Image source: SpotboyE archive
