The drugs controversy seems to have rocked Bollywood. After Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh, next in line are Deepika Padukone and Shraddha Kapoor, who reportedly are going to be summoned by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for questioning.

So can the cropping up of an actor’s name in this case affect their careers? According to a recent survey by Indian Institute of Human Brands, 85% respondents said they won’t buy a product endorsed by a drug-tainted celeb. But most experts and filmmakers don’t agree it will affect careers. Producer Pritish Nandy draws a comparison with Hollywood. “Robert Downey Jr is the highest paid actor there, was he impacted by drugs? It’s a personal affair. We have made everybody’s problem our problem,” he says.

Agrees trade analyst Komal Nahta, citing examples of actors Rekha and Sanjay Dutt. “When Rekha’s husband Mukesh Agarwal committed suicide, the nation called her names. A few days later her film Phool Bane Angaray (1991) went on to become a big hit. Similarly, Dutt was named in a crime, but Khalnayak (1993) was a hit,” he reasons, adding Salman Khan had the black buck and road accident cases, but his films did well.

Not in the too distant past was the party at filmmaker Karan Johar’s house, attended by actors Vicky Kaushal, Arjun Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, Varun Dhawan among others, which triggered controversy.

Considering all this, will filmmakers want to work with them again? Director Anurag Basu says these are just allegations. “Unless it’s proved, why should anyone react?” he says.

Agrees director Rahul Rawail. “Law will decide all on the basis of evidence. If trailers and films of some actors haven’t done well, that doesn’t say much,” he says. The audience is the deciding factor, feels director Ken Ghosh. “Even hardened criminals are given a second chance. Whether I’ll work with these actors will also depend on the audience verdict,” he says.