Actor Sushant Singh Rajput's suicide has reignited the debate around prevalent nepotism in Bollywood. Director and producer Karan Johar, who has often been critcised for favouritism for 'star kids' came under fire on Twitter for ostracising those he sees as outsiders.
Some have gone as far as to claim that Johar had been responsible for blocking career opportunities for Sushant that ultimately resulted in the latter's depression.
Amid all the backlash Bollywood is receiving for its tribal nature, director Ram Gopal Varma has gone on to not only defend Johar but nepotism as a whole reported Hindustan Times.
For Varma, nepotism is the foundation of society itself. “ Without nepotism society will collapse because nepotism (familial love) is the fundamental tenet of a social structure. Like you shouldn't love other's wife more, you also shouldn't love other's children more," he said.
WITHOUT NEPOTISM SOCIETY WILL COLLAPSE BECAUSE NEPOTISM(FAMILIAL LOVE ) IS THE FUNDAMENTAL TENET OF A SOCIAL STRUCTURE..Like u shouldn’t love others wife more, u also shouldnt love others children more
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) June 16, 2020
He added, “Nepotism spoken in a negative context is a joke because the entire society is based on only a family loving concept. Should Shahrukh Khan launch someone unknown instead of Aryan just because someone is more talented (in whose view is the point?)”
Slamming those criticising Karan Johar for promoting nepotism, Varma said, “Blaming Karan Johar for what happened is ridiculous and just shows lack of understanding of how the film industry works. Even assuming Karan had a problem with Sushant, it’s his choice of who he wants to work with, like its any filmmaker's choice about who they want to work with.”
Blaming @karanjohar for what happened is ridiculous and just shows lack of understanding of how film industry works ..Even assuming Karan had a problem with Sushant it’s his choice of who he wants to work with,like its any film makers choice about who they want to work with
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) June 16, 2020
Going a step further, Varma went on to describe Johar an "even bigger victim" than Sushant. “Just want to say this to the ignorant social lynch mob that Karan Johar is a bigger victim in this context compared to their ill-perceived and suddenly discovered victim Sushant,” he tweeted.
Just want to say this to the ignorant social lynch mob that @karanjohar is a bigger victim in this context compared to their ill perceived and suddenly discovered victim Sushant
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) June 16, 2020
The director further went on to address the various media reports which claimed how some filmmakers refused to work with Sushant.
“No matter how many supposedly conspired to drive Sushant out (For what reason I can’t fathom when he can make money for them ) there were umpteen others wanting to work with him. But like it was his choice not to do with them, it’s the others choose not to work with him,” he said.
In an Instagram post earlier, Johar had said that he “blames” himself for not being in touch with the actor for the past one year. He wrote, “I blame myself for not being in touch with you for the past year..... I have felt at times like you may have needed people to share your life with...but somehow I never followed up on that feeling...will never make that mistake again."
https://www.instagram.com/p/CBacnPSJRtT/?utm_source=ig_embed
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