The death of Sushant Singh Rajput by suicide shook everybody and more so the actors who are a part of the same industry and knew him closely. But, there are some actors who could relate to the pain and struggle of the 34-year-old actor who was found hanging at his Bandra residence on Sunday morning. While Meera Chopra issued an apology on behalf of the industry, Vivek Oberoi asked the industry to do some serious introspection, Ranvir Shorey called out 'two-facedness' of Bollywood's gatekeepers and Kangana Ranaut questioned why his deserving films and work were never acknowledged at award ceremonies.
Vivek Oberoi
"Being at Sushant's cremation today was so heartbreaking. I truly wish I could have shared my personal experience and helped him ease his pain. I have been through my own journey of pain, it can be very dark and lonely. But death is never the answer, suicide can never be a solution. I wish he stopped to think of his family, friends and the millions of fans who are feeling this tragic loss today... he would have realised how much people care!..
...I hope our industry that calls itself a family, does some serious introspection, we need to change for the better, we need to bitch less and care more, less power plays and more grace and large-heartedness, less ego trips and more acknowledgement for the deserving talents, this family needs to truly become a family... a place where talent is nurtured and not crushed, a place where an artist feels appreciated and not manipulated. This is a wake up call for all of us."
His full post:
Apurva Ansari
"Many have woken up to feel bad for #SushantSingh after he took his life, but very few spoke for him during his struggle. And the more successful he got, the more he was boycotted, and maligned. Thank God for gracious men like Manoj Bajpayee who spoke for him when it mattered.
This is the same Manoj Bajpayee who stood by me in 2017 when I was discredited from my work, slandered in the press & suffered a complete breakdown. I have no ill will today, but I must point out that I suffered at the hands of 'outsiders', not nepotism. This system is messed up.
There are many talented filmmakers & actors who are not getting their due because a nexus between the powerful & the press exists. If you are someone who dares to be outspoken, if you don't suck up, then your achievements will be ignored; in film reviews, and at award ceremonies..
Many talented people give up the struggle, which is why mediocrity prevails. The ones that feel too much, & this should be an asset in the arts, either become sick or take their own lives. Others, like me, move away. Some continue to do selective work, others start farms/hotels.
This is a system that becomes vindictive if you call a spade a spade. If you don't like one of their films, they won't work with you again. If you reject a script written by a film critic, they can go from loving your work, to hating it overnight.
I once rejected the romantic overtures of a journalist & he has pulled all the stops to bring me down since. The environment is toxic. The powerful feed on the passionate, and the mediocre destroy the brilliant. By calling this nepotism, you are ignoring the elephant in the room."
Ranvir Shorey
"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’. Something has to be said about the games they play, and their two-facedness. 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. 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."
Kangana Ranaut
"He was a rank holder. How can his mind be weak? If you look at his last few posts, he is clearly saying, literally begging, 'Watch my films. I have no Godfather. I will be taken out of the industry'. In his interviews, he had expressed why the industry wasn't accepting him. So is there no foundation of this incident? He never got acknowledgement for his films, no awards for his films like 'Kedarnath', 'Chhichhore' and 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story'. Films like 'Gully Boy' got all the awards."
In the video, Kangana even revealed that she gets messages from people who tell her not to take any wrong step in life. "Why do they want to put in my mind that I should commit suicide. But in Sushant's case, he accepted it. He was called worthless and he agreed," she said.
Shekhar Kapur
"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. I wish you had reached out to me. What happened to you was their Karma. Not yours. #SushantSinghRajput," wrote veteran filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.
A day later, the filmmaker added, "Naming few people has no value. They themselves are products and victims of a ‘system’ everyone is protesting against. If you really care, if you’re really angry, then bring down the system. Not the individual. That’s guerilla warfare. Not a spurt of anger. #SushantSinghRajput."
Meera Chopra
"We are working and living in an industry which is cruel, cold and ruthless. We all knew well that Sushant was going through depression since long, but what did we do? Where was his close circle, the directors and producers who worked with his close friends? Why nobody came out and helped, gave him the kind of love, the work that he wanted bcoz nobody cares. I am sorry to say but nobody gives a shit about what you are going through. If your 1 movie flops they will start treating you like an untouchable. True, Bollywood is a small family, but a kind of family which is never there when you need them. He had to take his life for that family to realise the kind of pain and need he was in. An outsider will always feel like an outsider here. I just wana say to my industry that help people when they need it, and you know when they need it. There is no point tweeting when they r no more. Don’t pretend to be sad when you guys didn’t do anything when he was sad. Stop being such a hypocritical society. Sushant your death is a personal loss, the way I see my industry will never be the same anymore. We have failed you, this industry has failed you. You deserved better my friend. I am so sorry!!”
Gulshan Devaiah
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. As actors, somewhere deep down inside, we think we know why he (Sushant Singh Rajput) did it & that’s why it so disturbing even if you didn’t know him at all. It’s a hard game to play and he played it very well but the game won in the end. In case you didn't know, Bollywood has no shortage of aggressive alphas & peacocks. No, it's not gender specific… Successful people often fictionalise their success (like saying hard work, blessings etc). The ones who have failed will bare themselves to you & there is much to learn from that."
Sapna Bhavnani
"It’s no secret Sushant was going through very tough times for the last few years. No one in the industry stood up for him nor did they lend a helping hand. To tweet today is the biggest display of how shallow the industry really is. No one here is your friend. RIP."
After starting his career with television, where he gave an award-winning performance in soap opera Pavitra Rishta, Sushant made his Bollywood debut with Kai Po Che! (2013). The actor was last seen in Chhichhore (2019) but the one performance with which he touched millions of hearts was when he played the titular role in biopic M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016). His latest film, Dil Bechara, Hindi adaptation of John Green's novel The Fault in Our Stars, was slated for May 8, 2020 release and according to reports, there were talks that the movie would release online.
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