The circumstances of Sushant Singh Rajput's death have raised a number of questions about the Hindi film industry, including the lack of support for people suffering from depression and other mental illnesses. While there has been an outpouring of grief across the board for the actor, many have also stepped forward to highlight the film industry's hypocrisy.
Nikhil Dwivedi, producer of Dabangg 3 (2019) and Veere Di Wedding (2018), said that 'at times our movie industry's hypocrisy gets to me. High and mighty announcing they should have kept in touch wth Sushant. You didn't! And that's because his career dipped.'
At times our movie industry's hypocrisy gets to me. High &mighty announcing they shud ve kept in touch wth Sushant..
— Nikhil Dwivedi (@Nikhil_Dwivedi) June 14, 2020
Cmon u didn't! &thts coz his career dipped. So STFU! R u in touch with Imran Khan, Abhay Deol &others? No!
But u were, whn they were doing well#SushantSinghRajput
Article 15 (2019) filmmaker Anubhav Sinha took a potshot at the "privilege club" in the film industry, without elaborating. The director wrote, 'The Bollywood Privilege Club must sit down and think hard tonight.'
The Bollywood Privilege Club must sit down and think hard tonight.
— Anubhav Sinha (@anubhavsinha) June 14, 2020
PS- Now don't ask me to elaborate any further.
Celebrity hairstylist and documentary filmmaker Sapna Bhavnani, however, did not mince words. The outspoken woman wrote on Instagram, 'No one in the industry stood up for him nor did they lend a helping hand. To post about him today is the biggest display of how shallow the industry really is. No one here is your friend. RIP'
Shekhar Kapur, who was to direct Rajput in Paani, expressed remorse at not having been around. 'I knew the pain you were going through. I knew the story of the people that let you down so bad that you would weep on my shoulder. I wish I was around the last 6 months,' he tweeted.
I knew the pain you were going through. I knew the story of the people that let you down so bad that you would weep on my shoulder. I wish Iwas around the last 6 months. I wish you had reached out to me. What happened to you was their Karma. Not yours. #SushantSinghRajput
— Shekhar Kapur (@shekharkapur) June 15, 2020
Dear Sushant, there was so much more you had to offer. Perhaps the world was not up to your beliefs.. you should not have gone like this ...but then you were an old wise soul in a restless young body. Often the heavens cannot handle that .. pic.twitter.com/OJG4IzotRk
— Shekhar Kapur (@shekharkapur) June 14, 2020
Actor Ranvir Shorey said something should be said about the ''gatekeepers'' of the industry who decide who becomes a star. 'Something has to be said about the games they play and their two-facedness,' he said on Twitter.
It wouldn’t be fair to blame someone for a step that he took himself. He was playing a high stakes game, where it’s win or lose it all. But something has to be said about the self appointed ‘gatekeepers of Bollywood’.
— Ranvir Shorey (@RanvirShorey) June 15, 2020
Something has to be said about the games they play, and their two facedness.
— Ranvir Shorey (@RanvirShorey) June 15, 2020
Something has to be said about the power they wield with zero accountability.
The power they derive from having inherited privilege in the business and the mainstream media sitting in their lap.
The power to decide who will be a “star” and who will be left out in the cold.
— Ranvir Shorey (@RanvirShorey) June 15, 2020
But of course, the coterie that owns the only high stakes table in the casino will never be questioned, because everyone is too busy enjoying the game.
Even if they know it’s fixed.
Actress Meera Chopra, cousin of Priyanka Chopra, also blamed the industry for letting Rajput down and said bluntly, 'Nobody cares. Where was his close circle? The directors, producers he's worked with? His close friends. Why nobody came out and helped, gave him the kind of love, the work that he wanted?'
My apology to #sushant on behalf of the entire industry and a humble request to my industry folks!! pic.twitter.com/PJHhet6V6I
— meera chopra (@MeerraChopra) June 15, 2020
In a similar vein, actor Gulshan Devaiah said it was a mistake to think of the industry as a family. 'Bollywood is an imaginary name for a place of work, that’s it. I am really not trying to put anybody down here and sorry if it seems [so],' he wrote.
Really sorry to be doing this but Bollywood is not a family , it never was and never will be . If one thinks it’s a family .. there is the problem. Bollywood is an imaginary name for a place of work that’s it . I am really not trying to put anybody down here & sorry if it seems https://t.co/hoz30WiEOJ
— Gulshan Devaiah (@gulshandevaiah) June 15, 2020
As actors, somewhere deep down inside, we think we know why he did it & that’s why it so disturbing even if you didn’t know him at all.
— Gulshan Devaiah (@gulshandevaiah) June 15, 2020
It’s a hard game to play and he played it very well but the game won in the end.
Sushant Singh Rajput's last rites and funeral were slated to take place today at the Pawan Hans crematorium at Santa Cruz in Mumbai.