Batting for Bollywood on the floor of the Rajya Sabha, MP and veteran actor Jaya Bachchan on Tuesday argued for government support to the entertainment industry and slammed those tarnishing its image. Bachchan’s speech, in which she used a Hindi proverb 'jis thaali me khaate hain usi me chhed karte hain' to say those defaming the industry were biting the hands that fed them, earned her fulsome praise from many of her colleagues in Bollywood.
Though she did not take any names, her speech came a day after BJP's Lok Sabha MP and Bhojpuri actor Ravi Kishan said there was a problem of drug addiction in the film industry. She also said she completely disagrees with those who term the entertainment industry a "gutter", a term used by actor Kangana Ranaut to describe Bollywood in a tweet last month.
And now the Manikarnika actress has responded to her statements through a tweet that read, "कौन सी थाली दी है जया जी और उनकी इंडस्ट्री ने? एक थाली मिली थी जिसमें दो मिनट के रोल आइटम नम्बर्ज़ और एक रोमांटिक सीन मिलता था वो भी हेरो के साथ सोने के बाद,मैंने इस इंडस्ट्री को फ़ेमिनिज़म सीखाया,थाली देश भक्ति नारीप्रधान फ़िल्मों से सजाई,यह मेरी अपनी थाली है जया जी आपकी नहीं।"
Meanwhile, Ravi Kishan opened up about the same in an interview with India TV. Have a look at how he reacted:
Through a Zero Hour mention in Rajya Sabha, Bachchan said the entertainment industry was being flogged by social media and asked the government to protect and support it. "People who have made a name in this industry have called it a gutter. I completely disagree…," she said in a speech that not just made her the toast of Bollywood but was also trending on Twitter for much of the day.
"I was really embarrassed and ashamed that yesterday (September 14) one of our members in the Lok Sabha, who is from the industry, spoke.
I am not taking names. It is a shame," Bachchan said in a clear reference to Kishan's statement on the alleged Bollywood drug cartel.
"Jis thali mein khate hai Usme chhed karte hai. Galat baat hai," she said referring to a popular Hindi proverb that translates to biting the hand that feed you. She said the entertainment industry provides direct employment to five lakh people daily. “I think it is very, very important that the government supports this industry and not kill it. Just because there are few people, you cannot tarnish the image of the entire industry,” Bachchan said.
"At a time when the financial situation is in a depressing state and employment rate at the worst levels, in order to divert the attention of people, we are being flogged by social media," Bachchan said, adding that there is no support from the government.
-With PTI inputs
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