Syeda Daniyah Ali, Grade 11
UWCEA (Moshi)
Somewhere between setting his foot in the Indian drama industry and flourishing in the Bollywood industry, as a result of his hard work, talent and dedication, Sushant Singh Rajput let go of the last shred of hope that kept him going. On June 14th this year, Rajput reportedly committed suicide. The reason why he took this emotionally drastic step still remains a mystery, but some point fingers to the bitterly hostile concept of nepotism and the not so glamorous stardom of A-list actors.
Nepotism is defined as “favouritism on kinship”, but it goes beyond this in the Bollywood industry. Be it an established actor’s child—a star kid or simply a rich one with no history in the film industry, bequeathed fame and money always tackles talent down. The toxicity of nepotism has been established throughout the “successful” years of Bollywood, but the fact that remains is: toxic or not, nepotism stands strong. Rajput’s alleged suicide proved this as all the products of nepotism were blamed for pushing Rajput out of the industry for their undeserving spots in it. No to little star kids of this generation have lived up to the expectations and earned their place in the industry.
Rajput’s demise drew sudden but much-needed attention to the capitalists in Bollywood: film production houses. A producer’s job is quite self-explanatory: to produce the film. As per this, the producers have a lot at stake. From selecting the script to the set, everything undergoes a producer’s approval and so does casting of the actors. Acting is a craft, an art, one that actors pursue as a passion. But, in order to survive and thrive in the industry, passion is just not enough. In an article by Sanbeer Singh, Rajput was reportedly banned from three of the major production houses of Bollywood because one of the star kids wanted him out. Getting awarded for “best actor” after his first film and then facing neglect from people considered gurus had to take a toll on the actor. Rajput mentioned in an interview that he felt left out of the industry. His sudden downfall peaked in the last few years when most star kids were launched, as either multiple films were shelved or he was replaced by other actors. An actor with immense talent and zest was shoved aside for the privileged but struggling star kids. Suffocated to the breaking point, the colossal collapse of Rajput put a stop to the snowballing deterioration of his mental health.
Mental health has always been a controversial topic in any film industry, be it Hollywood or Bollywood. In the past, many actors have broken down into tears on an award show or an interview while reminiscing about their battles and struggles with mental health in the Bollywood domain. These actors received nothing but backlash; being taunted for pulling a publicity stunt. Ananya Panday, a fresh face in the fraternity, opened up about how she dealt with her first film’s delayed release, but her sentiments were immediately shot down just because she had easy access to the industry. The stigma around mental health puts star kids equal to any other actor—it’s just as hard. It is only until recently that a sudden need to be aware and make others around us aware sparked in the Bollywood industry specifically. Rajput’s demise left us all stunned. In this pandemic, hearing about people passing away each day, it definitely took a toll on his fans. This incident shed light on the detrimental effects nepotism can have on one’s mental health. According to India Today, Rajput’s brother-in-law is also planning to launch “Nepometer”, an app conceived to figure out the percentage of nepotism in a film. This platform is said to help suppress films cast with star kids, to draw attention to struggling, talented actors like Rajput. The star kids and star kids-promoting-producers are receiving immense backlash after Rajput’s passing and are looked down upon by the audience who hold the actual power. Nepotism is and has always been nothing but virulent for artists trying to follow their dreams and passion in any field, but this particular event is the beginning of its end.
Nepotism is defined as “favouritism on kinship”, but it goes beyond this in the Bollywood industry. Be it an established actor’s child—a star kid or simply a rich one with no history in the film industry, bequeathed fame and money always tackles talent down. The toxicity of nepotism has been established throughout the “successful” years of Bollywood, but the fact that remains is: toxic or not, nepotism stands strong. Rajput’s alleged suicide proved this as all the products of nepotism were blamed for pushing Rajput out of the industry for their undeserving spots in it. No to little star kids of this generation have lived up to the expectations and earned their place in the industry.
Rajput’s demise drew sudden but much-needed attention to the capitalists in Bollywood: film production houses. A producer’s job is quite self-explanatory: to produce the film. As per this, the producers have a lot at stake. From selecting the script to the set, everything undergoes a producer’s approval and so does casting of the actors. Acting is a craft, an art, one that actors pursue as a passion. But, in order to survive and thrive in the industry, passion is just not enough. In an article by Sanbeer Singh, Rajput was reportedly banned from three of the major production houses of Bollywood because one of the star kids wanted him out. Getting awarded for “best actor” after his first film and then facing neglect from people considered gurus had to take a toll on the actor. Rajput mentioned in an interview that he felt left out of the industry. His sudden downfall peaked in the last few years when most star kids were launched, as either multiple films were shelved or he was replaced by other actors. An actor with immense talent and zest was shoved aside for the privileged but struggling star kids. Suffocated to the breaking point, the colossal collapse of Rajput put a stop to the snowballing deterioration of his mental health.
Mental health has always been a controversial topic in any film industry, be it Hollywood or Bollywood. In the past, many actors have broken down into tears on an award show or an interview while reminiscing about their battles and struggles with mental health in the Bollywood domain. These actors received nothing but backlash; being taunted for pulling a publicity stunt. Ananya Panday, a fresh face in the fraternity, opened up about how she dealt with her first film’s delayed release, but her sentiments were immediately shot down just because she had easy access to the industry. The stigma around mental health puts star kids equal to any other actor—it’s just as hard. It is only until recently that a sudden need to be aware and make others around us aware sparked in the Bollywood industry specifically. Rajput’s demise left us all stunned. In this pandemic, hearing about people passing away each day, it definitely took a toll on his fans. This incident shed light on the detrimental effects nepotism can have on one’s mental health. According to India Today, Rajput’s brother-in-law is also planning to launch “Nepometer”, an app conceived to figure out the percentage of nepotism in a film. This platform is said to help suppress films cast with star kids, to draw attention to struggling, talented actors like Rajput. The star kids and star kids-promoting-producers are receiving immense backlash after Rajput’s passing and are looked down upon by the audience who hold the actual power. Nepotism is and has always been nothing but virulent for artists trying to follow their dreams and passion in any field, but this particular event is the beginning of its end.
Bibliography:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nepotism
https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/so-what-exactly-is-a-film-prohttps://tfipost.com/2020/06/sushant-singh-rajput-the-outsider-who-was-killed-by-insiders/
https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/what-is-nepometer-new-app-by-sushant-singh-rajput-s-family-rates-sadak-2-98-nepotistic-1696261-2020-07-02
https://www.news18.com/news/movies/ananya-panday-equates-struggle-with-koffee-with-karan-siddhant-chaturvedis-reply-wins-the-internet-2442315.html
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nepotism
https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/so-what-exactly-is-a-film-prohttps://tfipost.com/2020/06/sushant-singh-rajput-the-outsider-who-was-killed-by-insiders/
https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/bollywood/story/what-is-nepometer-new-app-by-sushant-singh-rajput-s-family-rates-sadak-2-98-nepotistic-1696261-2020-07-02
https://www.news18.com/news/movies/ananya-panday-equates-struggle-with-koffee-with-karan-siddhant-chaturvedis-reply-wins-the-internet-2442315.html
www.unitedworldwide.co