SUSHANT’S DEMISE EVOKES ‘CRUEL REALITY’ OF B’WOOD

Celebrities opens up on ‘cruel and unforgiving’ acts of cinema industry

MUMBAI: Actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death reignited the discussions around the struggle of survival in Bollywood, with many insiders highlighting the “cruel and unforgiving” nature of the industry, particularly tough on outsiders.

Rajput was found hanging in his Bandra apartment on June 14. According to a police official, Mumbai Police found out during the probe that the 34-year-old actor was under medication for depression. In 2013, he made his Bollywood debut with ‘Kai Po Che.’ In a telling tweet, veteran actor Dharmendra wrote that despite not knowing

Rajput personally, his death served as a reminder that the industry could be “cruel”.

“Pyaare Sushant, naa film dekhi na kabhi mila tum se, par tere achaanak chale jaane se bada sadma laga. This beautiful beloved ‘show business” is very cruel. I can imagine your unbearable pain. I share the pain of your loving family and friends,” Dharmendra wrote.

Actor Meera Chopra penned a powerful, poignant note about the loneliness one feels working in an industry, which is “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 he’s worked with, his close friends? Why nobody came out and helped, gave him the kind of love, the work that he wanted - because nobody cares,” she wrote on ‘Twitter’.

Gulshan Devaiah said, as an actor, one could understand why Rajput would’ve taken the step to end his life. Actor-producer Nikhil Dwivedi posted a strongly-worded tweet calling out the “hypocrisy” of the industry after people from the film fraternity wrote they regretted not staying in touch with the ‘Chhichhore’ star.

“High and mighty announcing they should have kept in touch with Sushant. Come on, you didn’t! And that is because his career dipped. Are you in touch with Imran Khan, Abhay Deol and others? No! But you were, when they were doing well,” Dwivedi said.

Celebrity hairstylist-turneddirector Sapna Bhavnani claimed that Rajput’s battle with mental health was out in the open and yet the industry chose to look the other way.

“It is 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,” she wrote on ‘Twitter’.