From videos dug up by Netizens to sensational revelations by actors and actresses, a lot has been unraveled in the past few weeks. Pictures doing rounds on Social Media have exposed previously unknown links between Bollywood and powerful business tycoons linked to the Underworld. The actions of the Mumbai Police and Maharashtra government have raised questions regarding their connections with Bollywood. However, what has spoken the greatest volumes is the silence of Bollywood. It has shown us that the so-called loving family Bollywood claims to be is in actuality an oligarchy ruled by tyrannical bigots- India’s dirtiest industry is one of the very places in the world where adopting neutrality and turning your back to scathing evidence is what ensures your safety. That is exactly what’s happening now. A man that died for his honesty, integrity, and humanity is being framed as a mentally ill psychopath.
All the actors that played valiant cops in movies are hiding like cowards at home turning their blind eye to the inconsistencies in the staged hanging of Sushant Singh Rajput. To all these actors and more in the industry, why are you not raising your voice for justice? Ayushmann Khuranna, one of my favorite actors prior to the Sushant murder, you played a cop who stood up against the system which always worked in favor of politicians and powerful folks. You very heroically told a doctor to accurately complete the autopsy, without hiding any scathing details – you told her not to be scared of the looming powers who were attempting to cover the case up and now what are you all doing? You are supporting the government, the police, and who knows who else is involved in encouraging doctors to fill up Sushant’s post mortem with false conclusions. Sooryavanshi. The unnecessarily overhyped film that hasn’t been released thanks to the pandemic.
“Sach soorya ki tarah hoti he” and more cheesy dialogues were supposed to be playing in theaters all day and all night apparently but then, India like the rest of the world, was hit with the COVID-19 pandemic. You all actors have the audacity to deliver lines about truth, yet when it comes to speaking for truth, in reality, you become as feeble and soft-spoken as the weak figures assisting the main villains in movies. Obviously you have to speak about the humane, just things in life because movies are watched by the public, and often influence their perspectives and actions. However, why is only the public responsible for taking inspiration from your movies and doing good deeds- are you not responsible? Do your wealth and fame provide you a pass to break laws, bend the system here and there, and stay quiet like cowards? I get confused sometimes- are you all scared of upsetting someone or are you scared that your dirty secrets will get revealed as a result? But then I realize, you do this to remain in the good books of the mafia. You participate in this cheap form of bootlicking in order to fulfill the desires of the oligarchy that has been controlling you.
Knowing that you have entangled yourself in this situation, you choose to ostracize and demean those who’ve had the courage to stand up to the despotic group of bigots. Quite frankly, if you, your followers, and your cowardly allies believe the truth resembles the rays of the sun, then what you’re doing reminds me of a solar eclipse. Since it’ll come back to haunt you anyways, remember the lines of Kriti’s poem. The truth indeed is like the sun – it is always there.
There are so many other movies where stars have adopted a false personality, but I would like to address one last film – Khaki. Khaki does a good job of showing both sides of the police force, especially by displaying Akshay Kumar as a money-hungry womanizer using his authority as a policeman to his advantage. Then none other than one of India’s biggest stars preached sentiments in his baritone voice about the value and responsibility that comes with the “Khaki wardhi” and was quickly able to change Akshay’s character. Unfortunately, in reality, many police personnel in India don’t live up to the Khaki nor do they attempt to make changes to their corrupt policies. Amitabh Bacchan could be using the baritone now, to strengthen the harmony of voices fighting for justice but he chooses not to.
While some Bollywood movies are presenting positive messages, a majority Bollywood and its members clearly aren’t. Regardless of what is being seen in the reel life of actors, for most of them, their real-life is quite the opposite. The majority of Bollywood feebly bows down to the tyrannical bigots, hoping that will help them elevate their career. The selfishness of some individuals along with their cowardice, has provided the oligarchy with the authority it has today – similar to how the public has built the career of famous actors, Bollywood’s members have allowed it to transform into the dirty industry it is today.
The suicide narrative developed by some brought my attention to how much mental health is trivialized in areas of India. In order to combat this taboo, a friend and I created Project Capsize, where we are seeking volunteers to film PSAs in a variety of languages, to make mental health resources accessible to all. Please fill out this form to get involved: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScm6yTVOCrSatrAiZZrLCCw3v90zA3STOSbvs9XwksPSP4GZg/viewform and follow our Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/projectcapsize/
