Bollywood – An Illusion

Bollywood is an illusion. Behind every superstar, there are thousands of failed actors. While superstars make it to the rich lists, the strugglers have to sometimes sell their bodies to stay afloat. Read our article for more details.

BOLLYWOOD-AN ILLUSION

Don't we all just love to fantasize about the glam and glitz of the film industry? What if we could be in their place, walk down the red carpet in a stunning designer dress, travel all over the world, be spluttered in luxury and riches, drive the mob crazy wherever we go, ah! All these do seem like a fairy tale. It's like the Midas’ golden touch- wherever the stars go, whatever they touch is nothing but luxury we can only dream of having. But while some of this may be true, not all that we see is reality. Bollywood might look like wonderland to us, but it is not so for all.

While the star kids get enough opportunities and limelight even before stepping into the industry, the outsiders have to go through a living hell to establish themselves. Whether you love Kangana or you hate her, nepotism is for real. The outsiders are subjected to the abuses of the casting couch, most of the times have to accept the sexual advances of the biggies just in order to get their dreams of becoming an actor come true or pay huge bribes to get even a small role. Didn't we all see how the #MeToo movement revealed the true faces of many big names of the industry? That is the amount of filth in the industry. From Alok Nath to Sajid Khan, the list of names was shocking and shattering. Even if the outsiders manage to get away from the claws of the casting couch, they have to work very hard to prove their mettle. It is rare that a newcomer bags the lead in a big budget movie. Often they are pushed in the background to do small, insignificant, blink-and-you-miss roles. After many such roles, do they manage to get to play the lead that too if they have good looks and an impressive figure apart from their acting ability. On the other hand the star kids are privileged and all that they have to do is,well, be their parents’ offspring. Nawazuddin Siddiqui had started his career way back in 1999 and starred in menial roles in movies like Sarfarosh and Munna Bhai MBBS. It was only in 2007 after a series of such small roles that he got featured in Anurag Kashyap’s Black Friday. Although his performance was well appreciated, he shot into limelight only in 2011 with Sujoy Ghosh's Kahaani where he played the badass cop, Khan.

Another reason why Bollywood is not all sunshine and sunflowers is the fact that only the major stars enjoy a high standard of living. They are the ones around which the industry revolves. They have a huge mass of fan following and their PR teams work 24x7 to keep their images spot free. They get the best of offers. They get the best of paychecks. They get the best publicity. They don't give a crap about the “struggling” actors. Some actors may have been a promising star at the beginning of their careers but wrong choice of films or wrong choice of people to mess with have brought them their downfall. Some actors have indeed disappeared from films in spite of having had a very good start. Take for example, Imran Khan. All is not well with his career. He was last seen in Katti Batti, which was much forgettable. That was about 4 years back. The world has not heard from him since. Or say, Vivek Oberoi. He had a fantastic start and had proved his acting prowess in movies like Saathiya, Yuva and Omkara. But an interview against Salman Khan and down the whirlpool went his career. He has still not been able to revive his sinking career and all that we see him in now,is cringeworthy adult comedies. Life is not easy for the strugglers. And sometimes even for the bigger stars thanks to their high maintenance. All is good till their movies do well. Once the movies start flopping, all the attention shifts from them. They stop getting offers. The ones that they do get are not well paid. They soon run into debts. They fail to pay their rents and taxes. More than often, they find a lawsuit filed against them. Only a few are wise enough to back up their career with businesses or other forms of investments. Ronit Roy turned to business when he realised his career wasn't blooming. He owns a security and protection agency that provides service to some of the Bollywood biggies. The agency also caters protection to some movie projects as well. Actors like Fardeen Khan, Zayed Khan or Sohail Khan are lucky to have been born with a silver spoon in their mouths. While none of them hardly managed to establish themselves as successful actors and failed to get offers after a few films, are lucky thanks to their family wealth. Uday Chopra manages to do just one film in half a decade or more and that too the Dhoom movies that are produced by his brother Aditya Chopra. Sad truth is some even turn to prostitution to free themselves of the debts. Unable to face the serious situation or find a way to get out of the problem, many turn to alcohol and drugs as well. Depression is common in Bollywood. While Deepika Padukone proudly wears her overcame-depression badge, not all have the courage or power to do the same. Some prefer ending their lives rather than living with shame and guilt.

Some actors are even forced to sell their bodies ie turn into escorts to stay afloat. Tashkent files actress Shweta Basu Prasad is a glaring example. Many actresses allegedly made the rounds of Dubai in the 90's when D-company was rumored to have financed several movies. Top actresses slept with the gangsters in hopes of landing roles. That explains how Mamta Kulkarni, Monica Bedi - hitherto unknown names were cast in several movies. Many actresses have not been named by the cops of "liasing" with the underworld due to lack of credible evidence.

Even the ones who make it are under high pressure. The top stars put in approx. 14-17 hours of work everyday. One flop & their box office standing, future projects, brand endorsements etc take a huge hit. Many resort to drugs like cocaine to stay energized. Many suffer failed marriages due to lack of time. They end up cheating on their spouses due to spending to much times around beautiful people of the opposite sex & barely any time with their own family. Their kids too grow up with lots of money, but barely any parental support & guidance. They too get into drugs & think an entry into bollywood is a given.

Thus all we get to see is the brighter side of Bollywood. The actors may or may not be able to give powerful performances on screen but off-screen they do make sure to cover up their insecurities and struggles under the facade of all things gold and glittery.