Akshay Kumar opens up on drugs probe in Bollywood and Sushant Singh Rajput's death case
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar, on Saturday, poured his heart out and talked about the drug issue following the probe in Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case, He said that while the drug issue is very much prevalent in the Bollywood industry, it is not right to blame the entire movie industry.
“I speak to you today with a heavy heart. In the last few weeks, I wanted to say some things but there was so much negativity all around that I could not understand what to say, how much to say and whom to say it to. Even though we are called ‘stars’, it is you (the audience) who has made Bollywood what it is, with your love. We are not just an industry; through the medium of films, we have promoted Indian values and culture to every corner of the world. Films have tried to portray the sentiments of the people in our country, however you have felt, all these years. Whether it is the rage of the Angry Young Man, corruption or unemployment, cinema has tried to highlight these issues in its own way. So today, if your sentiments are angry, we accept that anger,"Akshay Kumar can be heard saying in Hindi.
“Bahot dino se mann mein kuch baat thi lekin samajh nahi aa raha tha kya kahoon, kisse kahoon. Aaj socha aap logon se share kar loon, so here goes...#DirectDilSe," Akshay Kumar wrote while sharing the heartfelt video. Watch:
Narcotic Control Bureau (NCB) is probing the alleged Bollywood drug-nexus and has till now arrested Rajput’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik and some suspected drug peddlers.
The federal agency has also questioned Bollywood actors Deepika Padukone, Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan as a part of the investigation.
Amid the probe, Bollywood has faced wrath of many on social media and various other platforms for being a negative influence on cinema fans.
Akshay believes the series of events following the death of Rajput in June has pushed everyone in the film industry to “introspect”.
The actor said he won’t deny that there are some in the industry who may be doing illegal things, but most of the people will cooperate with the investigation.
“I'll be a liar if I say that this problem does not exist in our industry. It exists, just like every industry. But every person in every profession is not involved in such problems. This is impossible.
“Drugs is a legal matter and I'm totally confident that our law enforcement authorities and courts will conduct a fair investigation into this issue. I know this for a fact that every person from the film industry will cooperate with them in this investigation. It is my request, don't don’t look at the whole industry with same lens. This is not right,” he said.
The actor requested the members of the media to not indulge in insensitive and irresponsible coverage as even a single “negative issue” can damage an artiste’s hard-earned reputation.
“I want to request the media that they continue doing their jobs and raising their voices but with sensitivity. One piece of negative issue can damage a person's reputation that they built over the years after a lot of hard work.” Akshay said the star status many enjoy in the industry is a result of the love fans shower on them and his aim will always be to change for the better.
“My message to all the fans is that you all have made us and we will not let your faith go in vain. If you are upset with us, then we will work extra hard so as to get rid of our flaws. We will win your love and trust. We are because of you.
Last month Producers Guild of India, which has 136 members including biggies like Aditya Chopra, Aamir Khan, Karan Johar, Shah Rukh Khan and Vishal Bhardwaj, criticised media for "peddling" what it termed "clickbait journalism".
