COVER STORY

Is Nepotism Killing Bollywood?

Sumita Chakraborty looks deeper into the ‘one happy family’ façade that Bollywood presents to reveal the rotting truth that’s plagues the film industry.

Bollywood has always portrayed itself as one big fat happy family for years… like one of those Sooraj Barjatya films hamesha soppily saath saath. So even though there were those occasional whispers that the so-called truce and good friends act by two superstars are just that – an act. …Or Bollywood’s bonhomie ‘we are good friends’ facade between heroines, actors, directors, filmi families hide many an ugly tale of steamy affairs, nasty fracas or scandal ‘n’ shame… still the film industry carries on like they are a huge khandaan of happy souls Until Sushant Singh Rajput’s horrific suicide opened up a rusty can of squirming worms that Bollywood from aeons was trying to sweep under the carpet. Of course, the fiery Kangana Ranaut had not only addressed the white elephant in the room a couple of years ago, she also spilled the beans about Bollywood’s closeted “closed door policy for outsiders”. Kangana had at that point belittled the so-called “flagbearer of nepotism” Karan Johar on his own show ‘Koffee With Karan’, making him pout in sheer disdain and of course, later blacklist her from all his social gatherings. All the Kapoors and Bhatts followed suit and did the same – though they mouthed sweet nothings to the media about the firebrand ‘Manikarnika’ actor, in reality, they cold-shouldered her too. But of course, the indefatigable Kangana continued fuming and letting out her steam via her sister Rangolis’ vitriolic tweets but of course, to no avail. It was like Shakespeare’s famous lines ‘told by an idiot full of sound and fury’. So Bollywood’s fiefdom continued to reign supreme and the perennial story of the haves and have-nots continued. The star kids were served everything – from the best films, big banners, meaty lead roles, hefty endorsements to magazine covers - on a golden platter while the outsiders had to make do with the leftovers which are barely anything. Of course, there was a rumble of dissatisfaction from the outsiders, but it always fell on deaf ears.

However, after Sushant’s suicide, whispers became more vociferous. People averred that he was a victim of nepotism and perhaps, the whimsical star refused to be tied down and so took this extreme step. At that point he was locked up in a threefilm contract with Yashraj Studios, and so when lucrative offers poured in for the super talented actor, the studio mughals supposedly put their foot down and refused to let him go. Paradoxically supposedly, the rules were bent rather conveniently for an- other star-kid from their own stable. Sushant at that point was offered Bhansali’s Galiyon Ki Ram Lee- la which he had to refuse simply because of an air- tight contract so that later went to Ranveer Singh, a Yashraj favourite. Anoth- er film Chetan Bhagat’s Half Girlfriend which even announced Su- shant in the lead later went to Arjun Kapoor – the reason being the same contract. Was that a conspiracy or just luck, one doesn’t know? Sushant too didn’t real- ly say much at that time. Though five years ago, he had quoted an author and so- ciology professor Larry Kersten on nepotism. His post read, “We promote family values here almost as often as we promote our family members.” …This says it all.

Sushant Singh Rajput’s horrific suicide opened up a rusty can of squirming worms that Bollywood from aeons was trying to sweep under the carpet.

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Nepotism should stop... people are dying and these big shots are still not understanding the effect. -Pallavi Inder Kumar “ ”

What happens in Bollywood isn’t “

The boiling cauldron of outrage in social media, however reached its zenith point as people trolled Alia Bhatt, Arjun Kapoor, Ayush Sharma, Sonakshi Sinha claiming they all were a nepotism, it’s gangism. – Shekhar Suman ” product of nepotism. Salman Khan too was targeted and trolled for launching Ayush Sharma. Ananya Pandey was ridiculed for bagging awards even though Sushant’s film Chichore was so much better than her debut film Student Of The Year 2. Overnight, Karan Johar’s followers decreased by lakhs and so did

Alia and Arjuns. Sonakshi Sinha unable to take the caustic comments deactivated her twitter account. Poor Karan

Johar who now had a huge ‘Nepotism’ lettered figuratively on his forehead suddenly found his proteges and filmstars friends distancing themselves from him. Hurt, he unfollowed all on social media and then even resigned from the MAAMI film committee on which Deepika Padukone presided as chairperson. And though she requested Karan to stay on, he refused point-blank.

So is this huge hamesha saath saath front Bollywood put out hide much more that it reveals? If you look at it superficially, - you can always see Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan go buddy buddy in front of the cameras. Or even from the younger lot though people had said there were problems between Hrithik Roshan and Tiger Shroff during the making of War, on the social media they sound like blood brothers joined in the hip and more. Is this all sham?

Perhaps or perhaps not…. But it is a fact that the ugly face of nepotism has clawed an angry raw aching sore plaguing the industry. And the boiling pot of bitterness threatened to pour over.

Shah Rukh Khan who himself was an outsider to the industry, suddenly found himself targeted. One had never heard any discordant tales about him before. Strangely for the first time, social media was 15

abuzz when the late Inder Kumar’s wife Pallavi posted “These days everyone is talking about..

Nepotism... Just like Sushant Singh Rajput, my husband late actor Inder Kumar achieved his fame on his own. He was at a peak in ‘90s. Be- fore he passed away, I still remember he went to 2 people big shots asking for work as help.

Just for the record he was already doing small projects. But he wanted to do big movies just like he started. He went to Mr Karan johar, I was there too. In front of me all happened. He made us wait outside his van for 2 hrs. Then his manager Garima comes and says Karan is busy. But we waited and wen he came out, he says Inder keep in touch with Garima at the moment there is no work for you.

We phoned… she picked up saying there is no work at the moment... after that Inder was blocked.”

“The same behaviour was given to

Inder by non-other than Mr. Shah

Rukh Khan... He met Inder and said he will call you in a week. At the moment, there is no work. This all happened on the set of Zero. Later was even asked to keep in touch with his manger Pooja... she did the same wat Garima did.... Can one imagine and believe that there has not been any work available in these two production houses?”

Pallavi further wrote, “Karan Johar has said many times he works with stars... well my husband was a star ... still people remember him by his work. Why is it so difficult for these big shots to help talented people? What are they scared of? Or we can just say they are bad human beings... pretending to be nice.

Nepotism should stop... people are dying and these big shots are still not understand- ing the effect. Government should take strict action against such people.” Many of us chose the harder path and believed “ in sheer talent and merit - Vivek Oberoi ”

I managed to get out of my father’s shadow. “ Shekhar Suman further reveals, “Sushant had made a successful transition from TV to films. There was Shah Rukh Khan 30 years back, now it was a boy from Bi– Tiger Shroff ” har who managed that. His very first film did 100-crore business, but he never got any acknowledgement or award. I’ve been told that this eventually took a toll on him.” He added, “Nepotism happens in government jobs where people help their family members supersede others. In Bollywood, there’s free entrepreneurship. Whoever brings money has all the rights to make films with their family, friends or anyone. What happens in Bollywood isn’t nepotism, it’s gangism. There’s a cartel, a syndicate, mafia… They control the industry and decide the fate of new talent. It’s a gang of vested interests so that their production houses grow.” Manoj Bajpayee too had once said in an interview, “Let me start with this, the world is not fair. I have been saying this since 20 years that as an industry we celebrate mediocrity. Forget about industry, as a nation we celebrate mediocrity. Something is lacking somewhere -- in our thought process, our value system. When we see talent, we immediately want to ignore or push it away. This is the value system of ours which is so deplorable,” Johnny Lever’s daughter, the effervescent Jamie however believes,

We have as many examples of nepotistic failures, as we do of “ “There’s favouritism, no nepotism in Bollywood.” On the other side of the coin, Tiger Shroff says, “Being my father’s son, there’s an added pressure of being a star’s ‘outsider’ successes. – Anubhav Sinha ” son. People think it’s very easy for us. I won’t lie, in a way to get a little attention it helps. It’s easier for people who are from the film in- dustry but it’s double the effort to make it on our own. I managed to get out of my father’s shadow.” Vivek Oberoi, who is the son of actor Suresh Oberoi, too reacted to being called ‘nepotism born’ with a tweet. “Many of us chose the harder path and believed in sheer talent and merit. It feels unfair when people make uninformed comments like this, one such comment can brush away years of struggle and perse- verance.” Anubhav Sinha scoffs at the out- rage nepotism had incurred. He sums it up with a tweet, “What- ever be the internal politics of Bollywood, like the basic idea of this country, it rises miles above religion and caste. Don’t let that be corrupted please. We have as many examples of nepotistic failures, as we do of ‘outsider’ successes.” …This debate on nepotism per- haps can go on for aeons. But the crux of the matter is that will Bollywood get away with this unfair treatment meted out to outsiders or will Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide be the lesson that will change things in the glitzy world of films. Amen to that!