Hindustan Times (Gurugram) - Hindustan Times (Gurugram) - City
LEVEL PLAYING FIELD IN BOLLYWOOD? NAH, JUST AN ILLUSION
‘Izzat aur pyaar maanga nahi kamaya jaata hai. Koi na de toh usse hum chhote nahi hote. Bas maidaan khelne ke liye barabar de do chhalaang hum bhi oonchi laga sakte hai’. Actor Kunal Kemmu’s tweet
ABIG announcement for sure!! 7 films scheduled for release but only 5 are deemed worthy of representation. 2 films, receive no invitation or intimation. It’s a long road ahead. THE CYCLE CONTINUES.” This one tweet by actor Vidyut Jammwal has now gone viral.
It all started when an OTT platform announced seven upcoming releases, including actor Kunal Kemmu’s Lootcase and Jammwal’s Khuda Hafiz, but highlighted only the five others. Kemmu too hinted at the two films not getting any attention among the other star-studded affairs.
The tweets have again put the focus on the state of affairs in the Hindi film industry, amid the raging nepotism debate: Are things fair for everyone here? Do actors get a level playing field, that is, an equal chance to work and be visible? No, admit celebrities. Actor Vikrant Massey, who tweeted in support of Kemmu by writing, “Fair & Lovely se FAIR toh hata diya... Par yeh system kab FAIR hoga???”, tells us there is a ‘hierarchical system’ at play. “If all this is true, that they were not even sent an invitation, it speaks of this system that exists. And it won’t be a surprise to see the transition from films, the same thing happening even in OTT platforms. But at the same time, talent and merit will be recognised,” he says.
Aahana Kumra, who costars in Khuda Hafiz, says, “I think everybody can co-exist on OTTS and a film platform. It’s important that nobody tries to pull anybody down.”
Many actors admit there is no level playing field between ‘stars’ and ‘actors’. Genelia Deshmukh tweeted: “Every film is made with a lot of love, a lot of sweat & a lot people giving it their all. Its only fair to want a little respect...” Randeep Hooda wrote, “More power to you brother Vidyut .. will watch your film the day it releases” Amit Sadh feels the industry needs ‘fair trade and fair play’. “Ek ko chhota karke doosra bada nahi hota, sabko saath lo,” he says.
On the other hand, singeractor Sophie Choudry, who retweeted both Jammwal and Kemmu, feels this is a business and every platform has to look for their interests. “But I think it’s fair for artistes to want an equal platform,” she says.
Actor Freddy Daruwala too backs Kemmu and Jammwal but points out another aspect of the star culture. “Why didn’t we say anything when the second lead or a character artiste was not put even on the film’s poster?” he says.
And Massey fears all this is an indicator of a not too distant future. “Aaj aapke jitne bhi OTT ke actors the, voh sab sideline ho jaayenge. This is the unfortunate reality, the class system does exist. And not just Bollywood, everywhere,” he adds.