ONE YEAR ON: SUSHANT SINGH RAJPUT, YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN

This day last year, actor Sushant Singh Rajput died a sudden, unfortunate death. Even as tributes continue to pour in, his death has spurred talks around mental health and the insider-outsider debate in Bollywood. His friends and industry colleagues weigh in on if anything has changed in the last one year APURVA ASRANI WRITER

If you’re putting out a story against someone’s character, then it’s important that you verify your facts and have the courage to name the subject at least. Sushant was called a ‘skirt chaser’, an alcoholic, unprofessional and arrogant in blind items that described him but didn’t name him. He was even accused of molesting a coactor in one blind piece, but there were no complaints, allegations or proof of any of this in the real world. Yet the damage was done, and he had to stay up several nights, desperately defending himself to the world. I hope this never happens to anyone again. I am also closely watching the new media narratives about Kartik Aaryan and noticing that things are being said about him without any verification from him.

DHEERAJ DHOOPAR ACTOR

Whatever happened last year was a very sad thing, and we should understand one other thing that actors are also humans and have emotions. They have professional targets and commitments. There are times when people judge actors or start mocking them for a post they put up on social media, without thinking that there may be a reason behind it. The world should be less judgmental and more understanding. When it comes to the culture of blind items, I cannot say ke kitna change hua hai, but at least people have started talking about these things. That is a good thing, actually.

AMOL PARASHAR ACTOR

There were conversations about the inner lives of young actors, the pressures they live with on a daily basis and the demons they fight away from the public eye. A lot of friends and well-wishers reached out to me as they must have for every young actor out there. In a few days though, the conversations became convoluted, and instead of sympathising with his colleagues and friends who were dealing with the loss, some sections of the media turned it into a headless witchhunt. Hope we can bring back some empathy into our conversations about young people’s internal struggles especially in an industry that keeps you on your toes all the time.

GULSHAN DEVAIAH ACTOR

People have unrealistic expectations about Bollywood. It’s a cut-throat business. There is a severe lack of professionalism at different levels and there’s an unsaid hierarchy. This is no meritocracy. Very few people understand the nature of this business and that’s where all the trouble lies. Sushant was a bright star and had a fantastic career. I wish I had his career. Conversations on camps and lobbies have increased. A lot of people felt empowered to share what they feel about this business, may be out of vengeance, motivation or to just shake things up. It’s undeniable that his unfortunate demise has given many people the courage to speak out.

ADHYAYAN SUMAN ACTOR

It was a good thing that so much came out, there were so many inequalities in the industry. Sushant’s death brought out so many things prevalent in the industry, but I am not sure if anything has changed. But my counter to this is, how much change has it brought? Have deserving people started getting work? Has it become easier for them? I don’t think directors have started taking calls of nobodies. I don’t want to name a filmmaker, he came to me during the pandemic last year, and said ‘I love you as an artist, there is no chance I am not going to give you work’. It’s been then and now, he is not answering my calls. It’s unfortunate. I

am not sure anything has changed.

SAMIR SONI ACTOR

At the end of the day, we are talking about show business. It will be about profit maximization. Whoever is investing money wants to make more money. A lot of people say ‘merit counts’. That way, Naseeruddin Shah and Late Om Puri should have been the highest paid actors in the country. Market decides that. If I were to make a film and had enough money, I wouldn’t play the central character, I know people will crowd theatres to watch someone more saleable. Talks around such things have come up in the past year. Everyone’s heart goes out. To me personally, Sushant is a success story.

RASHAMI DESAI ACTOR

Sushant was a strong, hardworking person and uski barabari kisise nahin ho sakti. After his death, many have come forward and admitted they need help. They are discussing mental health openly. They’re talking about its meaning and trying to create awareness about it. Over the past year, a lot has happened across the world and in the entertainment industry - from uncertain futures and lack of jobs and money to growing health issues. People are only starting to understand that communication is important. We have a long way to go. We have to learn that selflove is important.

DR HARISH SHETTY PSYCHIATRIST

The entertainment industry has been open-minded about mental health for many years now. Younger professionals seek help when needed but sadly, there is a lot of stigma about it. In the last one year, since Sushant’s death, I feel the visual media has neutralised this advantage by irresponsible reporting. In the TRP war, mental health awareness suffered and caused a lot of pain to those who were already under treatment for depression. As a mental health professional, I think, the focus on mental health since Sushant’s death can be described as the darkest period of the mental health movement.