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It’s a dirty picture — that’s what Sushant Singh Rajput’s death reminds us about Bollywood

Bollywood can be so unfair to the outsider because it is a brutally competitive game with no umpires, adjudicators or whistle-blowers.

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The coronavirus pandemic has also unleashed a rash of viral memes. My favourite is one which has a patient asking a doctor when he thinks the scourge will end. “I don’t know,” says the doctor. “I am not a journalist.”

It is with that sobering thought that I dare to wade into the story of actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, and what it tells us about Bollywood. Now, I know you could turn around and confront me with that same meme: You think you can hold forth on cinema just because you are a journalist?

I speak from experience. One reason I love my job is the diversity of experiences it provides, and the fascinating people I interact with.

I have hardly ever written about a film, except for the sociology of the odd remarkable one like Dil Chahta Hai (2001) and Masaan (2015). But, having to shepherd India’s premier film awards (Screen Awards, owned by The Indian Express Group when I also functioned as the company’s CEO between 2000-2013, besides editor-in-chief) exposes you to this incredible universe.

Incredible, because for something so public, open, and dependent on the wishes of crores of ticket-buying people, or ‘bums-on-the-seats’ in the insiders’ language, it is also the most opaque business you can find. Any outsider would find it impregnable and suffer many heartbreaks, as even one as successful as Sushant probably did.

It has everything: Glamour, fame, money, power, hormones, cliques, dynasties. It is also, generally, a meritocracy. After all, four children of Dharmendra’s, including two with Hema Malini, only collected middling Sunny Deol-sized success between them, besides three Parliament seats from the BJP. Abhishek Bachchan, despite his super-famous and powerful parents, spouse, talent and demeanour of maturity not widespread in the film world, has struggled.

So, if Bollywood has all this, what is it that it lacks? What is it that breaks an outsider as talented and successful as Sushant Singh Rajput? The short answer is one word: Respect.

Although grandly called ‘industry’, this world has no centre of gravity. It can’t have any if no one there respects any individual, institution, organisation, government, media, nothing. Everyone within is a rival or an ally. Everyone outside can be bought or arm-twisted (especially media and film critics), or charmed, as in politicians. It is a very lonely place. And the most selfish I have seen. Mind you, I’ve made my living over four decades covering Indian politics.


Also read:Bollywood’s Royals: Brave heroes on screen, spineless zeroes off it


What makes Bollywood a world so unfair to the outsider so much isn’t just the dynasties and cliques. It is essentially the fact that it is a brutally competitive game with no umpires, adjudicators or whistle-blowers.

Every year for the Screen Awards, my primary responsibility was to let the formidable editor of Screen (Bhawana Somaiya, and later, Priyanka Sinha Jha) set up a jury, and let them decide without any interference. To that extent, we were successful. Neither the management of the Express Group, nor its owner or his family ever called us to ‘suggest’ anything. The pressures, however, came once the awards list became known.

The days leading up to the glittering awards evening in Mumbai, each January, was a nightmare. Because film awards in India are no longer just awards and speeches like the Oscars. These are multi-hour television shows paid for by the host channel which, in turn, collects from the sponsors. That needs ratings. Which is ensured in two ways: Get top stars to perform on stage, ideally to a hit song of each one from that year, and to fill in your star enclosure with the most popular faces. The first was easy, if expensive. The second was the trouble.

Because, a star attending or not would depend on whether he/she was getting an award or not. If we couldn’t ensure an award (which we never did or would), not only would the star boycott, but also the entire clique or dynasty around him/her. I forget precise dates and regret my poor GK on movies, but the first experience was a boycott by the entire Bachchan clan, maybe in 2004, because of one such dissatisfaction.

There was an incident every year. I am choosing the few here to illustrate the power of every possible element: A dynasty, a clique or an individual star. In the 2011 awards (for 2010 releases), My Name is Khan was apparently the biggest hit. It did not get nominated in any category. Right or wrong, we wouldn’t know, because we let the jury be. And the jury that year was headed by someone as widely respected and accomplished as Amol Palekar. Shah Rukh Khan was also a contracted performer and a stage presenter.

Trouble began three days earlier, as usual. There were threats of a boycott. I never heard this from Shah Rukh — before, during the awards or later, to be fair. But from people “around the film”. There was panic and I had to field long, pained, hurt calls from Karan Johar, who simply wouldn’t accept that the jury had not found the film worthy of an award.

I was told dark theories on why poor Palekar might dislike those who made “the greatest hit in years”. How dare he choose instead a “marginal film” like Vikramaditya Motwane’s Udaan! There were threats of a boycott not just “by us, but the entire industry”. We held our nerve again, and a breather came as the viewers’ choice award, based on an internet poll conducted by our host TV channel, went to the film. We were satisfied because it wasn’t a jury award and our process was clean.


Also read:Nepotistic privilege should be a matter of social shame. It holds India back


Year 2012 was my last Screen Awards ordeal. The best film was shared between Vidya Balan-starrer Dirty Picture and multi-starrer Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD). So far, so good. But again, in its wisdom, the jury chose Milan Luthria (Dirty Picture) for best director, and not Zoya Akhtar (ZNMD).

On the day of the awards, Priyanka called in panic as usual. The cast and crew of ZNMD, she said, were boycotting. Now, how do you run an awards evening if nobody appears on the stage to accept ‘best film’. We again started diplomacy. But it wasn’t working. Not only was nobody from the film turning up, they had also persuaded all their friends.

At one point that evening, I got desperate enough to even call Javed Akhtar to plead with him. I did get a call back from Farhan. He turned up, sullen and in a black tee. He said while he might have come there out of respect (not for the jury), he wouldn’t accept the award on the stage. He left in a few minutes.

In the front rows, I spotted Krishika Lulla, whose company Eros held the worldwide rights to the film, and requested her to come and accept the award for the film. The temperature dropped to minus-30; she froze. How could any producer risk the ire of multiple dynasties, stars and a sizeable clique all rolled together? We had to finally get one of our staff members to take the award on the film’s behalf.

There were more. And you might find those in my memoir someday. But, notably, in 2007, there was Hrithik Roshan, chosen best actor (male) for Krrish, so far, so good. He was also contracted to perform on stage. He sent word an hour before the event that he would come and perform as contracted, but wouldn’t accept the award.

Why? Because how could he give legitimacy “to a jury that did not recognise the phenomenal talent of his father”? Rakesh Roshan was the film’s director. Hrithik did finally relent, but boycotted at least the customary post-awards star party.

And then, in 2010, when Katrina Kaif was to perform, paid fully in advance, she threw a tantrum minutes before her performance as she wasn’t being given any award. I was taken to her vanity van to plead with her.

Katrina was all dressed and painted up to perform. And then, the outburst. Why do they always call me but give me no awards? I said that was never the deal, you have a contract to perform. But by now, tears were streaming down her face, taking much of the make-up in their wake. Again, we invented a popular choice award.

It is well known that Aamir Khan never attends awards functions because he says they are fixed. Every year I’d call him and ask him if he didn’t trust even me to keep our awards clean. But he kept telling me, you get off this kerb. You will not be able to do this. A totally fair awards process is impossible here. I said my jury awards were clean, ‘popular choice’ ones we had nothing to do with, so we were at least 90 per cent clean. He said, I told you so.

The reason I bare all this now, is because it helps us imagine how lonely and stressed a rank outsider could get in this environment. Already, the stars buy coverage in the biggest newspapers with money. The number of ‘stars’ rating in a film review comes at a negotiable price in much powerful media (with exceptions); awards are fixed using the clout of established stardom, dynasties, cliques. There is nobody who can blow the whistle. No elder statesman, no institution like an association or an Academy, few journalists who carry credibility as well as weight, no whistle-blowers. It is a very, very stressful place for an outsider. Because the system can be turned on you. Not even a newspaper group like the Express was spared.

Postscript: I’m old-fashioned. I called the Chairman of the Express Group, Viveck Goenka, to inform him I was writing this. He is fine with it.

This article has been updated to correct the year of Katrina Kaif’s performance at Screen awards and the inaccurate reference to Lagaan instead of Masaan. The errors are regretted.


Also read: Bollywood’s nepotism didn’t start with Karan Johar. But it must end with Sushant Singh Rajput


 

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83 COMMENTS

  1. The only sense I get with this article how helpless the stars and the related media actually are. Living off each other and still trying to pretend to be friends. It’s a tragedy that we have to live a friendless and make believe life.

    It’s natural for some children to gravitate towards their parents profession. It’s natural for parents to support their children. Why shouldn’t they?

    It’s natural for others with less parental support to feel neglected and disadvantaged. The problem is not what is natural. The problem is what is unnatural and inhuman. It takes place everyday. To disrespect the disadvantaged or devalue them. Talk shows which devalue people have to be censored. So too news channels spouting offensive comments about others. This article is well written but naming people who may have some relationship with you in the past feels like back stabbing even if they are popular figures.

    I

  2. Well written and thanks for providing insights into the brats of Bollywood..

    Still and all.. I fail to understand what this has to do with SSR or his suicide. Here are some facts: -Some 60% of Indias population (around 812 million people) currently live on $3.2 a day (BPL). Heres a good looking guy who is famous and rich (by “BPL” standards anyway) who chooses to end his life, selfishly leaving his family members presumably devastated. Sure,we can rant about depression due to unfair practices in the industry and so on till the cows come home. Show me one organization, one industry where its all milk and honey.. I’ll eat humble pie.

    if reports are to be believed, he had over 15 crores in his bank account. He could’ve just retired and lived off the interest alone (which would be around 1 lakh a month). Now that’s a princely sum that many people in our country don’t see in their lifetimes.
    The news flash here is that “life is a bitch” .. accept it, because somewhere in there, theres good too.

  3. I guess there was an exception. Aamir Khan did go to receive a award. Gollapudi memorial award. This was instituted by Gollapudi Maruti Rao in the memory of his son.

  4. Worst thing is after bjp is in power even national awards are “fixed” and nobody is pointing that out over in the comments too. We had national awards as a reply to this kind of this clan and mediocrity .it used to be something to look forward to. But look at all the awards nowadays. Joke!

    • Lolwa every award in India is just a tool to wild more power from ages, not after Bjp.Although will give Bjp credit for some not all awards(Huh Ekta,Karan) in Padmashri category as the nomination is now public on official website.You know this coupta,rajdeep,barkha have got Padma Shree from fawning to Madam Sonia.BTW the best Best Debut Film of a Director is one of the National Film Awards is called “Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film of a Director ” since 1980 only similarity b/w Indiraji & cinema is both successfully fooled the public for ages(Garibi Hatao!). So don’t say after Bjp just for your agenda. Not in India from Nobel to Pulitzer. They gave Obama a Nobel peace prize after which he BOMBED 7 countries,was going to give to Manmohanji for demilitarizing Siachen. Gave Pulitzer to one journalist for Russian election reporting which turned out to be a Hoax. If not for the Internet Even WHO would have given an award to China for the best pandemic handling ability.😂😂

  5. CUTTHROAT COMPETITION IN EVERY FIELD WHETHER POLITICS, BUSINESS, CORPORATE, CREAM TYPE POSTINGS, CONTRACTORS, POSTING & TRANSFERS. WHY BLAME FILM INDUSTRY.

  6. I am surprised by Anurag Kashyap’s reaction and support for Karan Johar, and shaming the victim for not choosing to work with him. Given that he is such good friends with Karan Johar, it is impossible for him to not know. Thanks to this article it is now easier to understand how these stars and their cliques use their PR machinery. They are slowly developing a narrative, in this case using perception of Kashyap’s credibility, which is eroding fast. Kashyap is that uncle who comments on vulgarity while elbowing every lady in a crowded train (from arnab ray – greatbong’s timeline). It’s so hypocritical of the Aktars, Bhats, Johars pontificating about everything but running their fiefdoms.

  7. look who is talking! a lap dog of dynasties himself. Be it Gandhis, Bachhans or Khans! Shekhar Gupta has always been a part of the establishment and this whole media mafia circus- be it getting played by the industry stalwarts or ISI or China! Shekhar Gupta has been a leech! Did he ever write anything against Salman Khan in black buck case? In hit and run case? In any other case. His pen has always subtly protected the mighty. and that’s how he has reached where he has. Please do not assume that gangs exist only in Bollywood, news media is way worse. People like him suck balls of really dangerous men and intelligence agencies who can afford to bring him down any day. is only He made this video just to pretend as if he is not a part of this circus. BUT HE IS &
    HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN.

  8. Thanks to speak truth but you are late for this.
    Please Will support truth for others. We wanna Dil bechara will nominate for different awards because it deserves.

  9. Why I would not like to support this media group … It seems news industry has the tendency to move in the direction of the wind .. during UPA government same Indian express left no stone unturned to label India as fascist dominated country and run a minority centric propoganda .. towing Congress line .. it’s today during the age of social media where everything lays bare and no lie can be hidden for long they are claiming to be on moral high grounds by fair reporting .. they have been profittering for years and peddling lies … award function is classic example . These same.people who are preacing today where hand in glove with perpetrators …no sympathy for them sorry .. pay for your crimes

  10. I am a great fan of SG. While there exists good and bad everywhere, the film industry is no different. It’s unfortunate to note that bad gets highlighted, totally ignoring the good. In a nation, where unemployment is the major burning issue, the film industry generates employment to many. Films bring joy on faces which are overburdened with worries. Why do we tend to forget the good things.
    The industry cannot be shamed by few. There were greats in the past present and always.

  11. excellent@!!!!! especially naming names!!!! what a line up rittik roshan, farhan akhtar, the bachhans and of course the great Karan johar!!!!! emperors with no clothes? are they cringing? i suspect NOT. shows they hold the viewer in fairly low esteem.

    • Me Shekhar gupta, why did you not tell the story of threat by the Bachchan clan? Are you also scared of the so called “great actor” Amitabh Bachchan?

  12. Well, what are we complaining about?

    We reward bad storytelling, pathetic acting, mindless song and dance sequences with crores in box office collections. We get what we deserve.

    If the audience demands excellence instead of “nautanki”, our films would change too. And so would the overall environment for real talent.

    • look who is talking! a lap dog of dynasties himself. Be it Gandhis, Bachhans or Khans! Shekhar Gupta has always been a part of the establishment and this whole media mafia circus be it getting played by the industry stalwarts or ISI or China! Did he ever write anything against Salman Khan in black buck case? In hit and run case? In any other case. His pen has always subtly protected the mighty. and that’s how he has reached where he has. He made this video just to pretend as if he is not a part of this circus. BUT HE IS< HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN.

  13. There are exceptions even in this so called cut throat competitive film industry…..There are people here also who work for their own inner self satisfaction as an artist and don’t become desperate to go to any extent to reach the top…..Every dark cloud has a silver lining after all….its high time we should portray the positive sides n aspects too….For example Aftab Shivdasani is a true artist with a heart of gold….he never ever compromises for cheap materialistic returns n would never ever compromise in future too
    I still respect Bollywood n would in future live n die for it till my last breath come what may

  14. It is interesting to read this article for several reasons. First we get to hear backroom realities about stars whom we see all beautiful and smiling on stage. How it is considered an entitlement to win an award, as revealed by Katrina Kaif case. Or how Rittik Roshan can demand an award for his father or drop out of the show at the last minute. Have we forgotten that awards are won not demanded? My second revelation was hypocrisy our stars exhibit in public and how they behave behind the scene. Same Farhan Akhtar who was in a black tee shirt came to meet Sekher Gupta, had pontificate about goal of being an actor is not always to win an award. This gem he said to A hay Deol, post Sushant Singh suicide, when Abhay had complained about being left out of best actor slot in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Only Hritik and Katrina were selected. All said and done, when there is money, fame and future work is at stake, people will complain at being left out. Only way forward is to choose a clean jury against whom none could raise a finger, and hire a glib PR manager who can soothe bruised ego. Finally I am and was a fan of Sushant Rajput. But I despise how his death is being used to run down actors, directors producers and critics. In an industry where perception matters, there will be difference of opinion. We must learn to respect this difference. Sushant was not short on projects, he had rejected four films, he had enough money, may be not as much as Khans or Kumars, still much more than common folks. Office politics is a staple in a overpopulated resource starved country of ours. One has to grin and bear it.

  15. Frankly Speaking, NO ONE WATCHES these FAKE AWARD SHOWS …Everyone knows these awards are BOUGHT,Not GIVEN…So,In some time from Now, these FAKE AWARDS will cease to exist, as there will be no TAKERS…

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