The Death of Sushant Singh Rajput and the Unveiling of the Nepotism Scandal, the Dark Side of Bollywood that Shakes India

Kapanlagi.com - Sushant Singh Rajput has now departed, allegedly due to depression caused by the professional competition in Bollywood. It is no secret that unless one comes from a family of actors or individuals in the film industry, their career cannot flourish.

Although not all famous artists come from celebrity families, a majority of Bollywood stars still have blood ties. Those who are not from celebrity families find it difficult to work with certain production houses (PH).

Just like the experiences of Akshay Kumar and Kangana Ranaut. They succeeded on their own and needed extra effort to reach this level. Shahrukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, who are not from celebrity families, have also achieved success. However, these names are only a minority among a series of A-list celebrities whose families are involved in the entertainment industry.

Such intense pressure can be experienced by artists who are not from celebrity families. Sushant Singh Rajput experienced it, and he couldn't handle all the pressure and decided to commit suicide.

The dark side of nepotism in Bollywood is now a hot topic in India. What is the problem? Find out here...

1. The Difficulty of Newcomers Breaking into Bollywood

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It's not easy to break into the tough world of Bollywood, even for actors who are already famous in the television industry. Sushant is one example.

He rose to fame on the small screen with various hit TV shows. Sushant then struggled to spread his wings in Bollywood, as he had always dreamed of.

However, breaking into the big screen is not easy. Despite his undeniable acting skills, getting close to Bollywood directors and producers is not an easy task for Sushant.

When he finally got a role, Sushant needed several years to be accepted within the industry. Even then, he was sometimes underestimated and became the subject of hurtful jokes.

One time, a fan of Sushant asked on Twitter why his character keeps dying in the films he stars in. Sushant answered that question and pleaded with fans to still watch his films even though he is always portrayed as dead.

Another example is how the Bollywood industry treats Kangana Ranaut. This actress is known for being controversial because she dares to 'fight against' top producers like Karan Johar, whom she accuses of being the root cause of nepotism in Bollywood.

Kangana does not come from a celebrity family and she was not launched by a renowned director. But Kangana is unwilling to be kind to the big community that looks down on her and struggles to make a name for herself. She even dares to become her own producer in her film, MANIKARNIKA, which turns out to be successful in the market.

2. No Artistic Family, Difficult to Enter the Big Community

As mentioned earlier, when a newcomer does not come from an artistic family, it becomes difficult for them to be accepted by the larger community. The Indian film industry is not just about acting well in front of the camera and getting projects. It goes beyond that, as one must gain recognition as part of the community.

The Bollywood community is diverse, with some formed by large families who all work in the film industry. There are also those formed by close friendships, often working together because of their friendship.

To some extent, this community influences the careers of actors and actresses. If they are close to a strong community, the chances of getting film projects are very high.

However, if they are not close to the community, there is little chance of being noticed by renowned producers who have the resources to make large-scale films. Famous directors will also be reluctant to consider them, as without the producer's approval, they cannot freely choose actors and actresses for the films to be made.

Meanwhile, if someone comes from an artistic family, it is very easy to enter this community. With the family name and connections from parents, a person can become the main star of a film with just a simple conversation.

3. Not a Celebrity Family, Difficult to Get Lead Roles

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Looking at how someone can become a lead star in a debut film, Bollywood has a very unique standard. It can be said that some of the newcomers in the 2000s until now are from senior artists' families.

Some start as supporting actors, but get enough screen time to be easily remembered by the audience. There are also those who have no acting experience at all, but immediately get lead roles.

Take Janhvi Kapoor for example, who made her debut in Bollywood in 2018. The daughter of producer Boney Kapoor and Sridevi was immediately handled by Karan Johar when she debuted in the film DHADAK.

It's no secret that Sridevi and Boney fought to get the best film for Janhvi's debut. They were willing to lobby many producers in Bollywood and even the Marathi film industry for their daughter's debut, who had never acted in a film before.

Sridevi then introduced Janhvi to Karan Johar, and this renowned producer chose DHADAK as her debut project. It was a choice that Sridevi initially doubted, but it later succeeded in the market, although Janhvi's acting received harsh criticism here and there.

But if someone is not from an artist's background and does not have connections with famous directors, it is difficult to immediately get a lead role. There are even many who end up being supporting actors throughout their careers, despite having excellent acting skills.

4. Bollywood Industry Dominated by Big Clans

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Not turning a blind eye, big clans like the Kareena Kapoor and Salman Khan families dominate Bollywood. Almost all of Kareena's extended family works in the film industry, starting from her great-grandfather, Prithviraj Kapoor.

Becoming an actor seems to be a hereditary job in the Kareena family. Take Ranbir Kapoor, who happens to be her close cousin. Also, Sonam Kapoor, who is the daughter of Anil Kapoor, happens to be her distant cousin from her father's side.

In addition, there is also the Salman Khan family that has been in the film industry for decades. Salman's father is a scriptwriter who later became a producer. Then almost all of Salman's family works in this industry, either as actors, producers, or directors.

When an actor or actress comes from a big clan family, producers are not hesitant to invest a large amount of money. Even when their films fail in the market, actors and actresses from these families still easily get new projects.

Take Ranbir Kapoor, who repeatedly experiences failure when his films are launched. Although many of his films flop, Ranbir is not difficult to get new projects in Bollywood and producers still believe that he will bring in a lot of money.

However, this will not be experienced by actors from outside the big clan. After a project fails, the trust from producers will drastically decrease and it is possible that he will no longer be trusted as a leading star.

5. Big Clans Have 'Power'

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When a newcomer comes from famous families, it is not difficult to immediately work with famous directors and producers. And it is no secret that actors like Salman Khan can do anything to launch someone they like in Bollywood.

Being close to Salman means being safe, but if there is a problem with the star actor DABANGG this, someone's career can be destroyed, as experienced by Vivek Oberoi, Aishwarya Rai, and singer Arjit Singh.

Vivek's career, who is Aishwarya Rai's ex-boyfriend, is destroyed and sunk until now. Producers are afraid to collaborate with Vivek because they don't want to have problems with Salman and the effects are still felt until now. Vivek's name is sinking and he doesn't have many roles in any PH film productions even though he is quite good at acting.

The same goes for Aishwarya Rai, whose career dimmed after breaking up with Salman. Many people don't give her work because they are afraid of Salman's anger. Although Aishwarya is still lucky, because after she married Abhishek Bachchan, her career became stable again.

Salman also did the same thing to Sushant Singh Rajput when the late actor had problems with Sooraj Pancholi. Defending Sooraj, Salman was angry and was said to have blacklisted Sushant so that he couldn't get projects from his production house.

It's not just Salman who can do things like this. Some big Bollywood clans can ruin someone's career in an instant if they don't agree with them. Online feuds can also make many producers reluctant to work together, as experienced by actress Kangana Ranaut.

6. Difficult to Receive Awards Without Being From a Celebrity Family

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It has become a common secret in Bollywood that if someone is not from a famous family and not produced by a certain production house, it is difficult to receive awards. Most awards are won by the same people, even when their work is ordinary.

Recently, the public questioned the awards that were not received by Sushant and the film CHHICHHORE which was released in 2019. This film received a lot of praise, even actor Akshay Kumar felt jealous for not being part of this romantic comedy film project.

However, CHHICHHORE did not receive many awards in India. Instead, other projects that critics believe are not equal in quality to Sushant's film received many trophies. Even Sushant's acting did not receive an award at prestigious events, as the winners were dominated by certain parties.

7. Protest Against Nepotism Practices Now Echoing

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After the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, protests against the strong practice of nepotism in Bollywood are echoing. As voiced by the following industry players.

"There are many young 'outsiders' in this industry. Remember this - there are establishments that will make you feel like the next big thing when they need you. They will drop you and mock you as soon as you stumble. Don't fall into the trap. Those who celebrate will celebrate your downfall later on. Success and failure are temporary. You're not," wrote director Hansal Mehta on Twitter.

Meanwhile, actress Kangana Ranaut, who has long been advocating for the elimination of nepotism in Bollywood, believes it is important to give space to new talent, not those with connections.

"It is important to give opportunities to new talent. And if celebrities struggle with personal and mental health issues, the media should try and empathize with them rather than make it difficult for them!" wrote Kangana on Instagram.

The public also moved to demand justice for Sushant. Many believe that Sushant's death is an alarm, that the Bollywood industry must change if it wants to be better. There have been enough victims who have suffered from depression and committed suicide due to the immense pressure, and most of it is because of the strong practice of nepotism. Will this continue?

(kpl/phi)