Amitabh Bachchan: It is very honest and daring of Deepika Padukone to have talked about her depression

[email protected] (Bollywoodlife)
January 19, 2015

Amitab

Mumbai, Jan 19: On my way to meet Amitabh Bachchan at his swanky office in Juhu, I passed several billboards of the actor endorsing different products. It struck me how despite an avalanche of new and young faces, Big B is still one of the most sought-after names in the advertising and film industry. When I walk into his office I am told that he’s wrapping up the shoot of yet another product endorsement! Dressed in his favourite jacket that has the words ‘Russia’ written on it, we soon settle down to talk about his upcoming film, stuff he wants to learn and what he admires in the current lot of the young actors. Excerpts from our chat…

Most actors find film promotions tiring, Do you, too?

It is tiring, but it is now an accepted norm, so we just go along with it. It has become part of every film we do. Somewhere, they feel that promotions help the final outcome of the film. So here we are!

What’s different about working with Balki from Cheeni Kum to Paa to Shamitabh?

He has a different kind of mind and unique ideas. It is interesting for an actor to interact or work with someone who keeps inventing new ideas. You are always attracted to something that is different as it tests and challenges you. But Shamitabh is no different from any other of his enterprises. It is yet again another unique story and one that Indian cinema has not seen before.

Your name is referenced in a film title…

That’s true. But it’s not just there for the sake of my name, it is there for a certain reason which is there in the script.

The promo for Shamitabh has left people trying to guess it’s plot. Comment!

This is all Balki’s doing. We have a relationship where we discuss almost everything. If there’s something troubling me, I call him up, if there is something he wants to run through me, he calls. It’s a very healthy combination of ideas, but eventually of course, it’s the director’s call. I mean even if I were to disagree, I would respect his call as the final one.

You have the maximum number of followers on Twitter, have you ever tried to analyse why?

No. I am just happy that it has happened. I keep putting out my blog and there are a few regulars that I keep talking to. It is very difficult for me to go through everyone’s tweets, but I try as much as I can. All they want is a hi and a hello and to be noticed. It’s the least that we can do.

Blogging’s part of your daily routine?

Yes, I write everyday. I need to. If I don’t write, then I get hit on the head by followerasking, ‘Where are you? Are you okay?Why haven’t you blogged?’. Sometimes I forget to press the ‘post’ button and my phone is filled with mails saying ‘Mr Bachchan, you have forgotten to press the ‘post’ button, the blog is not out.’

What is the one lesson that you have learnt from working with youngsters?

I am in great admiration of the new generation. They are very spontaneous, they are very determined, very aggressive, know exactly what they want and how to get there. They are also very brave and a million times better than what we were at that age. I am so happy and fortunate that I get to work in projects with them despite the very large age difference. But it’s a great learning for me, I love to be in their company to see how they work, to learn from them. It is a very exciting time for Indian cinema and the amount of talent that comes out every Friday is amazing and it can only bode well for all of us.

There is a director hidden inside every actor. Agree?

I don’t know direction. Sometimes, when you are enacting a sequence you may want to give your own input on how you want to say it, the way you want to move, what you want to do, sit, stand, run, cry, laugh. These are some things that are individual in an actor, but the director is the ultimate authority and he will have to decide and it will become my imperative duty to obey him. I really don’t know how to put together a scene, there enough stuff to do in front of the camera and say your lines, but to be able to direct is tough.

Is there anything you want to learn this year?

I wish I could, but there’s no time. Technology changes every five minutes so one tries to keep up with it and you feel left behind in the race if you are not up-to-date. There are so many things, if you could learn how to sing or play an instrument, piano or a language perhaps…

What are the reactions you are getting for Shweta’s column in After Hrs?

She’s always been a very good writer. She has a lot of hidden talents which she’s never put out to the public. But I am really happy that she does this column. It has a style and is very different. Lot of people say many nice things to her after reading it which is a moment of great pride for the father.

What is your barometer of success? Is it `500 crore, your satisfaction as a performer or the audience feedback on social media?

Somewhere a bit of everything. Primarily, I hope that people like me and if that comes true, it’s great. At the same time, your next job will depend upon box-office success so that is an area of concern. And then of course, the critics and what they say is all welcome.

Recently Deepika spoke about how she battled depression, have you ever faced that?

I don’t know the extent of what Deepika has said. But I think it’s very honest and daring of Deepika to talk about it not so much to gain from it, but to make people aware of it. Awareness is a huge factor in most illnesses. I work for diabetes and tuberculosis, and will be working for hepatitis, and they are all very prominent diseases, many of them people are unaware of how to avoid, or at times are even unaware that they are affected by it. If I am going to be talking about a particular disease and know enough about it, I would definitely do it. We did that with polio, worked for eight years and finally India is today polio-free. I am not saying that we don’t go through phases where you are depressed or frustrated. All of us go through it, but we try and find a way out.

Would you consider investing 12 years of your life into making a movie like Richard Linklater did, with Boyhood?

Anybody wanting to do that now with me would be stupid because I probably won’t be alive by then! But it’s a great creative effort and it is very remarkable how somebody can have the patience to wait for a kid to grow for 12 years and continue to make this film. I think it is fantastic.

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News Network
July 3,2020

Mumbai, Jun 3: Investigators will subject the cloth allegedly used by actor Sushant Singh Rajput to hang himself to "tensile strength" analysis to determine whether it can bear the weight similar to that of the filmstar, as part of probe into his death, an official said on Friday.

Rajput (34) was found hanging at his suburban Bandra residence on June 14.

According to the investigators, the actor ended his life by hanging himself from the ceiling using a green coloured night gown made of cotton.

No suicide note was found from the spot, the police had said then.

Besides viscera from the actors body, the police also sent the gown for chemical and forensic analysis at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in suburban Kalina, he said.

It will take at least three more days to get final forensic report, the official said.

To ascertain the exact cause of death, forensic experts will check pattern of ligature marks around the actors neck and also determine the strength of the gown with the help of "tensile strength" analysis, he said.

The tensile strength test will technically establish whether the cloth can bear around 80kg, the weight of the actor, he said.

The test will help determine if there was any foul play, the official said.

Tensile strength is maximum load that a material can support without fracture when being stretched.

Viscera analysis will help in checking whether there were any traces of chemical, poisonous or narcotics substance in his body, the official said.

"Usually, it takes eight to ten working days to get s report from the FSL in regular cases. But since this case is sensitive, experts are taking more precautions to avoid any kind of error in their analysis," the official said.

The forensic report of the actors mobile phone is also awaited, he said.

Recently, the police received the final post-mortem report of the actor from Cooper Hospital, which mentioned the cause of the death as asphyxia due to hanging"

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Agencies
June 16,2020

Mumbai, Jun 16: Director Abhinav Singh Kashyap appealed to the government to launch a detailed investigation into the demise of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and shared a hard hitting Facebook post about his own experience of bullying in the Bollywood industry.

The 'Dabangg' director wrote, "My experience is no different. I have experienced exploitation and bullying first hand."

He further said, "Arbaaz Khan on Dabangg and ever since. So here is my story 10 years after Dabangg. The reason I moved out of making Dabangg 2 ten years ago is that Arbaaz Khan in collusion with Sohail Khan and family was trying to take control of my career by bullying me. because Arbaaz Khan sabotaged my second project with Shree Ashtavinayak Films that I was signed up with by personally calling their head Mr. Raj Mehta and threatening him with dire consequences if they made a film with me. I had to return the signing money to Shree Ashtavinayak films and moved to Viacom Pictures. They did the same thing. Only this time the sabotager was Sohail Khan and he intimidated the then Viacom CEO Vikram Malhotra. My project was sabotaged and I was made to return my signing fee of Rupees 7 Crores plus interest of Ninety odd lacs. Its only then that Reliance Entertainment came to my rescue and we forged an enduring partnership for my film Besharam."

The 'Yuva' director added, "But to behold... Mr Salman Khan and family sabotaged the release of the film and got their PROs to run a sustained negative smear campaign against me and my film Besharam before release. This scared the distributors from buying my film. Reliance Entertainment and I were capable and courageous enough to release the film ourselves but the battle had just begun. My enemies, which there were many ran a sustained negative Trolling and badmouthing campaign against the film till the Box Office of my film collapsed. But to their horror, Besharam had still netted 58 crores before it went out of theatres."

"So they fought on... They sabotaged the Satellite release of the film that was pre-sold to Mr Jayanti Lal Gada who was the main agregator for Zee Telefilms those days. With Reliance's goodwill, they were able to re-negotiate the satellite rights sale with Gada for a much lesser price," he further said.

Talking about his projects and how they were affected, Kashyap added, "Over the next few years, all my projects and creative endeavours have been sabotaged and I have been repeatedly threatened with life and rape threats given to/for the female members of my family. The sustained gaslighting and bullying destroyed my mental health and that of my family and led to my divorce and breaking up of my family in 2017. They erred and sent some of these threats as texts, sent to me as sms from several numbers. Armed with evidence, I went to the police in 2017 to file an FIR which they refused to register but registered a non-cognizable complaint. When the threats continued, I forced the police to trace the numbers but they couldn't be traced back to Sohail Khan (the suspected sender). My complaint remains open to date and I still have all the evidence."

The director further wrote, "My enemies are sharp, cunning and always attack me from the back and stay Hidden. But the best part is after 10 Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan years, I know who my enemies are. Let it be known that they are Salim Khan, Salman Khan, Arbaaz Khan and Sohail Khan for. There are many other small fry's but Salman Khan family is the head of this venomous serpent. They use a clever mix of their ill-gotten money, political clout and connections with the underworld to intimidate anyone and everyone. Unfortunately truth is on my side and I am not going to give up like Sushant Singh Rajput. I refuse to cow down and will fight on till I see the end of either them or me. Enough tolerance. It's time to fight back."

The 'Dabangg' director wrote, "The suicide of Sushant Singh Rajput brings to the forefront a much bigger problem of what many of us have been dealing with. Exactly what might compel a person to commit suicide?? I fear his death is just the tip of the iceberg just like the #metoo movement was for a much bigger malaise in Bollywood."

Kashyap also made allegations that talent management agencies ruin the career and life of an actor, "The death of Sushant Singh Rajput brings under scanner the role YRF talent Management Agency might have played in pushing him towards his suicide but that is for the authorities to investigate. These people don't make careers. They ruin your career and life. Having suffered personally for a decade, I can confidently say every Talent Manager and all Talent Management Agencies of Bollywood are a potential death Trap for Artists. They are all basically white collared Dalaals and everyone is involved. They all have an unspoken code of conduct they adhere to. Their one simple mantra is, 'Hamaam me sab nange aur jo nange nahin hain, unko nanga karo kyonki agar ek bhi pakda gaya to sab pakde jayenge'. Following is mostly their modus Operandi'."

The director shared how the agencies find talented people and get them to sign a contract, "First the talent scout (Casting Directors, etc.) working on a cut/commission spots a needy wild talent from out of Mumbai with little connections or property. The talent is then lured with free invites to Bollywood parties and random Restaurant launches on the pretext of introducing them to celebrities. The Blinding glamour of celebs and lure of easy money is unleashed on the unsuspecting. Mind you they are all ignored and treated very badly at these parties so they feel demoralized and their self-confidence breaks."

He added, "Once the confidence is broken, the scouts offer them a multi-year exclusivity contracts and pressure them to sign-up for it by promising to protect them from predators or offering a pittance. Mind you, breaking these legal contracts means heavy penalties for these budding talents but the scout makes sure through bullying and coercion that there is very little option for the talent but to sign up. Once the talent is signed up with the Talent management agency, they give up their right to exercise free choice and their discretion in any matter concerning career and they are made to work as bonded labor with very little money. Even if they are brave and manage to escape the clutches of their Talent Management agency somehow, they are systematically boycotted and their name smeared till they jump ship to another Agency in the hope of a better tomorrow."

Talking further about the struggle of an actor, Kashyap said, "But that tomorrow never comes. Their new agency turns out to be the same. Over a period of few years, mostly the prime of any actor, the talent is repeatedly broken till they either commit suicide or they succumb to Prostitution and escort services (Yes male escorts also) to feed the ego and sexual appetite of the rich and powerful, not just in Bollywood but also in Corporate world and politics."

He concluded by writing, "So this is not a threat, it's an open challenge. Sushant Singh Rajput has moved on and I hope he is happier wherever he is but I will make sure that no more innocent will kill himself over lack of work with dignity in Bollywood. I hope suffering actors and creative artists will share my post on various social media platforms as will the media and people who patronize the entertainment industry."

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News Network
June 19,2020

New Delhi, Jun 19: After the recent sudden demise of Sushant Singh Rajput, actor Kangana Ranaut who went public slamming nepotism in the Hindi film industry, has now revealed that she faced similar struggles like that of Sushant.

In a new statement, the "Queen" actor alleged that she was asked to apologise to Hrithik Roshan's family in order to survive. Both Kangana and Hrithik had been in the public spotlight in the year 2016 over their alleged former relationship and legal battle.

The 'Queen' actor said: "Once Javed Akhtar had called me to his house and told me that Rakesh Roshan and his family are very big people. If you don't apologise to them, you will have nowhere to go. They will put you in jail, and eventually, the only path would be that of destruction...you will commit suicide. These were his words. Why did he think if I don't apologise to you will have nowhere to go. They will put you in jail, and eventually, the only path would be that of destruction...you will commit suicide. These were his words. Why did he think if I don't apologise to Hrithik Roshan, I would have to commit suicide? He shouted and yelled at me. I was shaking in his house,"

She further continued, "Were there people calling Sushant? Were there people putting such thoughts into his mind? I have no idea, but obviously, he was in a similar situation. In his interviews, he had said that nepotism cannot co-exist with talent because they don't allow the right talent to come up. I can relate to it, and hence I am raising questions. I want to know who played the catalyst in this situation?"

Kangana adds, "I know Sushant had a big fallout with Aditya Chopra also. When I refused Sultan, he had threatened he would never work with me. Ever since our industry ganged up on me. I remember so many times feeling really lonely and feeling what will happen to me..."

The 'Manikarnika' star also revealed that all this not only happened to her professionally but personally as well it hampered her relationships. "They are very insecure about things. Despite what they did to me, there was a guy who wanted to get married to me. But he distanced himself, they made sure he ran away. With no surety about my career, my love-life completely has gone awry, with six court-cases against me, they're still trying to put me in jail."

Kangana also talked about herself: "I'm a different person; I'm very expressive. I went out there, and I just vented it out. Sushant was not a person like that at all. He just bottled it up. Media too has played a considerable part in this--the kind of monster image that was given to him. Everybody who knew him closely agrees that he was a soft and emotional person. I think that after a point it really got to him. I can understand it because even I have been portrayed as a witch and as a stalker."

Sharing that the bullying and outbursts had a psychological impact on her life situations, Kangana says, "I remember initially when people used to come to my home, I felt so embarrassed to even offer them water. Forget having a relationship or going on a date post the disaster of a relationship I had. I can only imagine that even during Manikarnika what they did to me."

Talking about the 'Kai Po Che' star, she added, "But perhaps he was just not able to vent. In fact, all these constant jibes on these petty show that he should be killed and which rated him as the least efficient... his films have done more business than your Gully Boy. People like Salman Khan said who Sushant Singh Rajput? It was after M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, everybody knew who Sushant was. We need to stop these."

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