Controversies and nepotism debates have been a part and parcel of Bollywood since a long time now. While most celebs remain tight-lipped, a few of them take the panga reveal the truth about groupism and gangs in the industry!
Global sensation Priyanka Chopra Jonas recently took the Internet by storm when she revealed why she decided to move to Hollywood. In a recent conversation with Dax Shepherd for his podcast Armchair Expert, Priyanka said, “I was being pushed into a corner in the industry (Bollywood). I had people not casting me, I had beef with people, I am not good at playing that game so I kind of was tired of the politics and I said I needed a break.”
After this, a few other celebrities came out in support of Priyanka Chopra. In a recent tweet, Vivek took a dig at the ‘Gang of bullies’ in B-town.
Kangana Ranaut also supported PC’s claim and shared a series of tweets about groupism in Bollywood. She wrote, “This is what @priyankachopra has to say about bollywood, people ganged up on her, bullied her and chased her out of film industry” a self made woman was made to leave India. Everyone knows Karan Johar had banned her.” Well, not just PC, there are many other celebrities who have claimed that the ‘Bollywood gang’ was behind their failed careers. Scroll down to see the list
Kangana Ranaut
Kangana Ranaut is fearless! The actress once revealed how Javed Akhtar threatened her that she would be driven to suicide if she didn’t apologise to Hrithik Roshan for defaming him. Not just that, filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt once threw a chappal at her when she refused to sign up for his film, the Murder actress revealed. Talking about the filmmaker Aditya Chopra in an interview, Kangana said, “After I rejected Sultan, he started threatening me. One night he texted, ‘How dare you’! You say No to me’. And then he told me, ‘You are finished’.”
Raveena Tandon
During one of her interviews with a leading daily, the Mohra actress shared how the industry is full of toxic ‘mean girls’ gang’. “There are bad people who do plan your failure; I’ve been through it. They are the ones who would want to see you down and removed from films,” she said.
AR Rahman
AR Rahman once spoke about why he has been working less in Bollywood and said, “a gang is spreading false rumours about me that is stopping me from getting work.” He even revealed how the Bollywood gang banned Sushant Singh Rajput from getting big-budget movies, which ultimately pushed him into depression.
Manoj Bajpayee
The Family Man actor once spoke about how the industry wasted his talent and how outsiders never get credit for their work. He said in an interview, “How come I survived in this industry, an industry that doesn’t have respect for people from outside? So much so, if a good film is getting bad box office then they will anyway criticise you whether you make a good film or a bad film, whether you give a good performance or a bad performance.”
Shreyas Talpade
Shreyas Talpade accepted that favouritism and nepotism are here to stay, no matter how much one denies it. “The star kids have it easy. But we can’t just focus on that while moving ahead. At least I don’t want to. I’ve never done a Karan Johar or a Yash Raj film, I’ve never approached them, nor have they shown interest in working with me!” said the Golmaal actor.
Adhyayan Suman
The Murder actor once claimed that his 14 films were shelved because the power dynamics in Bollywood. “People haven’t paid attention to this earlier. It’s very unfortunate that we required a Sushant Singh Rajput to commit suicide for people to realise.” said Adhyayan during one of his media interactions.
Sona Mohapatra
Sona Mohapatra once shared a tweet about how Javed Akhtar and Farhan Akhtar hated her blockbuster song Ambarsariya before it got released. She wrote, “It was the only song Excel didn’t shoot a music video for and didn’t even properly distribute it. Long story there but of course, it’s no surprise why I never got a ‘second chance.” However, she immediately deleted the tweet and apologised for taking names.
Amit Sadh
TV actor Amit Sadh spoke about how he was once banned from the telly world for being outspoken. “They called each other and said isko kaam mat do. Toh phir maine kaha, ‘Achcha? Nahi de rahe ho? Toh phir main picturon mein jaaunga,” said Amit in an interview with a leading daily.
Divya Dutta
On being asked about favouritism in the industry, Divya Dutta said,“It used to feel like a huge sense of loss, coming and being rejected or being told on the phone that someone else has been roped in. I’ve been dropped out of many movies at the last minute so that hurts because you feel sheer helplessness because you know how good you could’ve been in that role.”
Ranvir Shorey
The famous Indian actor and VJ Ranvir Shorey once openly blamed Mahesh Bhatt for his downfall. He told in an interview, “Yes, that (Bhatts) is what I am talking about. I was professionally and socially isolated, and equally pressured from all ends. Every chance and every platform they would get, they would be lying about me, saying I am an alcoholic and abuser. It got really toxic for me at the time and I had to leave the country for a while.”
Madhur Bhandarkar
Fashion director Madhur Bhandarkar once spoke about how nobody can escape the cruel reality of groupism in the industry. He said, “The minute Trishakti bombed, people who used to take my calls — they were not even big people — they simply disappeared. They were suddenly nowhere. It was difficult for me to again get a foothold. People advise you ‘Your career is over!’”
Upen Patel
Upen Patel, who is known for his roles in Namaste London and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, once shared how he went through a bad phase after he was cornered in Bollywood. “Suddenly I was not needed in the industry, they decided to cut me off. It was very toxic for my mental health.”
As much as the glitz and glamour of Bollywood excite us, it can be one dark place for many celebrities.
Feature Image: Instagram
