Every film industry, in this world, is centred around making a profit, and the Hindi film industry is no exception to this. But in the Hindi film industry, the stakes can level up to a much higher level for those involved in the process, particularly the actress and the actors, who actually use their talent, fame to selll their movies and in very very few cases, both.
All this ruckus leads to a high level of expectations and much harsh materialistic view. Below we have collected such actors and actresses who were too bold to bring this dirty truth, it’s unjustified demands.
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1. When Pooja Bhatt revealed that saying the truth doesn’t take one very far in the Bollywood industry
Daughter of Mahesh Bhatt, Pooja Bhatt made the statement at the launch of I’ve Never Been (Un) Happier, a book written by her sister Shaheen Bhatt. Speaking about Bollywood’s inside world, Pooja said,
“Too much truth does not go down well in Bollywood. We’re living in a fake world full of appearances where people don’t want you to say ‘I’m not okay’.”
2. She also spoke about things being “all surface”.
It’s all surface. They don’t give a damn if you’re a cocaine addict, whether you have an alcohol problem or you’re taking sleeping pills. As long as you look okay and show up and your waist size is a certain circumference, it’s good.Â
3. Neena Gupta discussed how women actors were portrayed back in the day when she was just starting out in the Bollywood industry.
The heroine in those days was not portrayed as someone strong, more often than not. Generally, she was someone who compromised with the circumstances and sacrificed a lot. So, I think an actor has to be very careful that what image of theirs is created by the media.
4. When Ratna Pathak Shah honestly evaluated the worth of the movie Sholay and the need for India to introspect more as a “filmmaking nation”
I was thinking, if I were a French person watching this, what would I make of two grown men behaving in this manner? It was deeply embarrassing. I thought back on Sholay. It’s a series of stereotypes and borrowed ideas from films from all over the world, mainly American, of course. And we are still singing praises of that film. What kind of self-analysis are we doing as a filmmaking nation?
5. When Ratna also revealed that most of the A-list actors of the Bollywood industry are not good at their work and should not be “allowed in front of the camera”.
Too many of our grossly overpaid stars should not even be allowed in front of a movie camera. There should be a law to prevent such people from acting!
6. When Shefali Shah discussed the important issue of age plaguing the Bollywood industry and said that the industry has no idea what to do with the actress over 40
Men in this industry are afforded more choices, regardless of age. For most part, Bollywood doesn’t know what to do with a woman who has crossed 40. Only recently are parts being written for women like me
7. Saif Ali Khan called the Bollywood award shows “whole big tamasha”, saying that these award shows are nothing more than money-making tools
As I see them, awards functions are an excuse to make some money by performing on stage. If you have the intelligence,then you spend the money well.
8. And when Saif revealed the incident where he was given the ‘Best Actor in a Comic Role’ award because they can’t give him the ‘Best Actor award’
To be honest, I don’t believe in them. Some years ago I was called for an awards function. When I got there someone higher up in the organization told me, “We wanted to give you the Best Actor award. But you know how it is. We’ll give you the award for Best Actor in a comic role”
9. Abhay Deol talked about the “lobbying” that exists in the Indian cinema industry and how it impacted the award season after the release of his movie Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
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10. Swara Bhasker said that the Bollywood film industry is a “star-driven” industry
Bollywood as an industry is based on relationships, it has always been star-driven and it has an element of feudalism. So, it would be difficult for an outsider but my experience of Bollywood is not nepotistic at all.
11. Surveen Chawla talked about the problems and struggles she had to face just because someone else had better contacts than her in the industry
I was not scared even though I had left TV at the peak of my career. But in the middle of this transition, when I was stepping up, I was thrown back down. For what reason? The question is not of my talent, but about somebody who had better contacts; that’s it. It took me some time to come out of it, but then other things happened, and it instilled confidence back in me.
12. When the amazing actor Naseeruddin Shah said how film and television shows in India propagate sexism, calling them “rubbish”
Commercial films are glorifying a lot of orthodox concepts and that should change. Unfortunately, the television series have also done a lot of permanent damage by propagating completely outdated and misogynistic situations by showing the woman to always be at her husband’s beck and call – lying at his feet, or waiting around, like ‘Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki‘. This kind of rubbishy and regressive family values have absolutely no place in today’s world.Â
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