Sushant Singh Rajput’s (SSR’s) death is a special case-study, in matters pertaining to Bollywood super-stars particularly: on the glamour, the luxury, the heavy pay-packs the actors (unduly) get, the producers milking money from the poor for what they invest- like in no other field, the industry status given to Bollywood, the behaviour of the high-class circle, their parties filled with booze and taking the prohibited drugs and last but not the least their aping of Hollywood (the western film world).
Since All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in its final report ruling out that there was no trace of poison or indications of marks of forcible death on SSR’s body, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday (5th Oct.) said that it had not ruled out abetment to suicide angle and all other aspects of actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s (SSR’s) death. In any case, The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) could conduct their probe in the drugs angle and money laundering respectively, as they are also matters of importance. However, Rhea should be grilled on abetment to suicide angle, as she was in relationship with SSR that soured only just days before his death.
SSR was murdered, not committed suicide— is the popular perception of many people. There is some meaning in it, if his immediate family people hold this view. For, family members have an emotional attachment towards the dead. It is difficult for them to reconcile with the reality in any case. It is often seen, generally, the family members complaining about some goof-up in the hospital or some kind of wrong doing/ diagnosis/ treatment that led to their dear one’s departure.
By watching the TV channels that have been espousing the SSR Death’s-cause passionately, the audience took to the family angle of emotion. Of course, the dedicated watchers of those channels sincerely, adopted the same, as it touches their chord. Multi-faceted views are always better in these mysterious cases. No one theory-adherence is good. A suspicious death has many sides. The all-sided presentations by TV channels are useful, as they call expert panellists to explore the possibilities. Because of SSR-tragic death, the Narcotics Bureau which has been on sloth in nabbing the menace has become active. The creepy net-work of narcotic drugs (their smuggling and dispersal stealthily) has jolted the consciousness of people. Now, the department with this probe of SSR gets the kind of information that it never had before.
It is shameful to see the actors and actresses taking to drugs illicitly, when the poor man on the street is paying their bills. They could have used their extra money for the larger good of the poor. What in essence do they get by their hi-fi parties with artificial smiles; superficial friendly hugs though harbouring hostility and rivalry with their peers most often? This all hypocrisy.
Once they become big actors, they live in a surreal world with no connect with the man on the street. These actors’ looks, manners, the language they talk on the movies are all artificial. Most of them have dubbed voice, because they cannot speak in their own language. For, most of them adopted English as their mother-tongue. That is how it works for them in their high society. Their mother- tongue is the other-tongue for them! Once they are in this high class society, they try to maintain the same, even after their shelf-live period is over in cinemas. Nothing wrong. But what is in them for youngsters to emulate? The youth of India assume, by seeing their roles, to be them, in reality. They play Desi-roles to bullshit them. In their real lives they are far-removed.
The other day Jaya Bachchan questioned in (recently held) Rajya Sabha session that some TV channels had been causing damage to the image of Cinema Industry and the Industry did quite a lot to the country. What is that quite a lot? According to her huge sums of money the actors/actresses donate whenever floods and natural calamities befell on the country. The other reason: the industry is providing employment to many workers, be it to make-up men, lights-men, those that make settings and other extras. Her two claims could be contested. In the Cinema-Industry (to call it an Industry is a misnomer in any case) the big beneficiaries are the actors. Whether the movie becomes a hit or not they would get the big-fat money (an ordinary man would not get, even if he works throughout his life). If the movie flops the actor’s worry is, whether he/she would get the next movie or not. For, a producer a hit is a hit and a flop is flop financially. However, one good hit would compensate the other flops. So that would not make much of a difference in his life-style. What do the cameramen and other workers get? They get ordinary wages like outside workers. They don’t share the bounty like the producer and actors. Where is the equality/near equality? If the so-called Cinema Industry winds up, those bigwigs are at a loss. Jaya Bacchan cited that they donate money for calamities. That is but natural for any industrialist or businessmen who earn quite a lot in this country. Actors are no less than businessmen. Acting is a lucrative profession. So, the actors in their place promote their children and grandchildren in the field.
In Covid-19, after the ban of Chinese app Tiktok, many Indian apps have come into field and people are watching short films in them. People are enjoying at home without spending money and without wasting much time. This is the way forward. After finding the vaccine, even if normal life is restored, there is every possibility for another virus to surface threatening life. So, it is always dangerous to sit in closed air-conditioned theatres and watch movies. Instead, small actors, those play on small screens, to display their talents are to be encouraged. So, one could bid good-bye to Bollywood.
