Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, which sparked a debate on nepotism and hypocrisy in Bollywood, ruffled many feathers in the film industry. The Producer guild of India has taken to it’s official Twitter account to share an open letter in which it says that the “tragic death of a promising young star has been used by some as a tool to defame and slander the film industry and its members”.
#InSolidarity pic.twitter.com/3XL557tlZz
— Producers Guild of India (@producers_guild) September 4, 2020
Decrying the “relentless attacks on the reputation of the Indian film industry”, key filmmakers’ body has accused media of painting the film industry as a terrible place for outsiders. It slammed “concerted effort” over perceived ‘singling out’ of the film industry for alleged nepotism and blocking outside talent to bloom.
The organisation explained that the picture painted of the industry as a “terrible place for outsiders to aspire to, a place that threatens those who dare to enter it with contempt and derision; a murky den of substance abuse and criminality” was not the truth.
Painting the entire industry with the same brush is unfair: Producer Guild on India
Though it accepted that the film industry has its “imperfections”, it said that like any other sector, there is an ongoing attempt to improve. Saying so, the organisation said that painting the entire industry with the same brush is unfair. “Like any other sector there is no doubt that the film industry has its imperfections, and there must always be an ongoing attempt by any industry to improve upon itself, learn and evolve while weeding out unsavoury elements or improper practices that hold it back. But to paint an entire industry with the same brush is a gross misrepresentation of reality,” read the statement.
The organisation wrote that it was pertinent to understand that Bollywood was one of the most important sources of soft power for the nation at a global level. “The film industry employs hundreds of thousands of people, boosts travel and tourism and is one of the most important sources of soft power for India across the world”, read the letter, furthering that the industry has contributed generously to “national causes in times of need, and has readily offered its resources, name, recognition, time and funds – whenever called upon to do so, and often even without having to be called upon”.
It said that though they agreed that it was not easy to enter the industry and that there are struggles, but it said that these struggles are no different from the challenges and obstacles faced by new entrants in any field that they are not born into, be it politics, law, business, medicine or the media.
“These are difficult times for our country and the world, so rather than venting our fears and frustrations on each other with vile and vicious trolling, it is more important than ever to come together instead of tearing each other apart. Members of the industry on both sides of this debate, especially women, have been subjected to rape threats and death threats. This is unacceptable and must stop now,” the statement said.
Sushant Singh Rajput’s death sparked a debate over nepotism in Bollywood
The sudden and untimely demise of actor Sushant Singh Rajput has opened a can of worms and sparked a debate over nepotism in the cinema industry. Many celebrities have opened up on how the big and influential families in Bollywood have been propagating it over the years. Many blamed the big filmmakers such as Mahesh Bhatt and Karan Johar for their favouritism in the industry, which according to a few resulted in the death of Sushant Singh Rajput.
Pertinently, Karan Johar and Mahesh Bhatt’s brother Mukesh Bhatt are eminent members of the Producer Guild of India.
