A HORROR FILM OF ITS OWN

The industry withdraws into a shell as allegations of drug abuse and nepotism are levelled against it

- SUHANI SINGH

Bollywood is currently going through a PR crisis, one that it didn’t see coming. It began on June 14 when actor Sushant Singh Rajput died by suicide—a conclusion that Mumbai Police arrived at long ago and one that the All India Institute of Medical Sciences recently confirmed. There was shock; condolences were expressed, as were regrets about being too occupied with one’s own affairs. But, along with grief, came a torpedo of accusations against the “movie mafia”, “nepo gang”, and a “drug nexus” within the film industry. Never has the industry faced such large-scale contempt, as a result of which it is now shying away from the very spotlight it is in the business of embracing. The few who tried to speak up in defence of the industry, which supports the livelihoods of more than just actors and producers, were shamed on social media. Even Akshay Kumar, who interviewed Narendra Modi before the Lok Sabha election last year, wasn’t spared. #BoycottLaxmiBomb (Kumar’s next release) was trending after the actor put out a video saying that while the audience’s anger is justified after Rajput’s death and drugs are an issue, to suggest that the everyone in the industry is an addict is wrong. When India today reached out to actors and directors for comment, some excused themselves from becoming a part of what they called “a mess”, many didn’t want to “add to the noise”, but there were those who defended the industry— some off the record—as one that gives opportunities to all.