Richa Chadha pens a long note on Sushant Singh Rajput, the times they have spent together during their initial days in Mumbai, Nepotism, and how some producers are shedding crocodile tears after his demise.
Picture Courtesy: Richa Chadha's Online Blog
The unfortunate demise of Sushant Singh Rajput on June 14 left the Hindi film industry in a collective state of shock. He passed away after he was found hanging at his Bandra residence. His fans were devastated and so were a lot of people from the fraternity whom he worked with. Condolences began pouring from everyone, right from sports personalities to politicians to Bollywood celebrities.
It has been more than a month since he left but people are still missing him and writing about him on social media. The Gangs of Wasseypur actor Richa Chadha has now written a very long and piercing note on her blog about spending time with the actor during the initial stages of their careers in Mumbai, Nepotism, and how some producers are shedding crocodile tears after his demise.
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Coming to her memories with the Kedarnath actor, Chadha wrote- "Sushant and I started out by workshopping together in a theatre group. I was sharing a 700 sq ft apartment in Andheri West with a friend from Delhi. Sushant would pick me up on his bike and we would head to the rehearsal, for which I was grateful."
She then wrote about her struggles and penned, "I wasn't poor or broke. But I can't say money was not a consideration when I had to head out to do an ad audition for a skin brand. I would worry about my make up melting in the auto-rickshaw before I even arrived. This was would NEVER happen with a 'star-kid', and if it does, they will be lauded for being humble enough to take the rickshaw in the first place. But I don't resent their privilege."
Giving a different take on the debate between the insiders and outsiders, the actor equated the industry with a food chain and had an explanation for the same. She wrote- "It is being said that the industry seems to be divided between 'insiders' and 'outsiders'? In my opinion, the Hindi film industry and its entire eco-system is only divided between kind and unkind people."
She added, "In the brief time that I have spent here as the first person of my lineage, my assessment is that the industry operates like a food chain. People are scoundrels when they know they can get away with it. Those who are anguished today have themselves been cruel to their subordinates."
In the blog that was more than 3,000 words long, Chadha made some explosive revelations about how the fraternity functions and how outsiders can be as nauseating. She wrote, "There are insiders who can be kind and generous, and outsiders who are punitive egomaniacs. In the nascent phase of my career, I was often 'cut to size' by outsiders. It took me all my strength to recover from various forms of subtle sabotage. But this is not about me. The tragic part is that everyone here has experienced a version of this."
She also stated she doesn't hate star kids and also went on to reveal why. "As for nepotism, it just makes me laugh out loud in real life. I don't hate 'star kids.' Why are we expected to? If someone's father is a star, they are born into that household the same as we are to our folks. Are you ashamed of your parents... This is a hateful and nonsense argument. I am a self-made person in this business. Will you tell my children to be ashamed of my struggle to reach where I have, for instance?" stated the actress.
She also took a subtle dig at the producers who were crying after Rajput passed away. "I see several producers shedding crocodile tears on social media for the deceased actor. Some of them to this date are not ashamed of the fact that their checks have bounced on hapless professionals. They have made the crew beg for their own hard-earned money. A make-up artist I often work with told me that the 'market' owes him money commensurate with a 1BHK property in Andheri."
She added, "Due to uncertainty of this lockdown period, he has had to move out of his rental apartment, and relocate to the farthest suburb at a fraction of the previous rent. I know of producers that haven't even paid their freelance spot boys. The spot-boys are considered the littlest players, till food arrives late on a set. These categories of workers, live hand-to-mouth in normal circumstances due to 'feast and famine' nature of our business. Can you imagine the disastrous effect this lockdown must be having on them?"
The actress has shared her entire blog on her Instagram story!
Coming to Rajput, success happened pretty early in the form of Pavitra Rishta, a very famous and popular television show. After Pavitra Rishta and its subsequent success, it was Bollywood calling for Rajput and he made a gripping debut with 2013's Kai Po Che. A resonating, relevant film that explored the themes of friendship, religion, and hope, Rajput delivered a confident, charismatic performance and it was immediately announced that a new star had arrived on the block.
Infographic/Atul Jain
There was no looking back for the actor then. He went on to do films like Shuddh Desi Romance, PK, Kedarnath, Sonchiriya, and Chhichhore. His most memorable performance came in 2016 when he took the challenge to emulate the physical and emotional nuances of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in his biopic, M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story. Lauded by fans and critics alike for his effective and energetic performance, Rajput nailed such a complex character with ease and aplomb.
His last film would be Mukesh Chhabra's directorial debut, Dil Bechara, with Sanjana Sanghi, which is all set to stream on Disney Plus Hotstar from July 24 onwards!
Also Read: Sushant Singh Rajput Death: Girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty Asks For A CBI Inquiry
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