Sushant was a strong and hardworking person, and uski barabari kisise nahin ho sakti. Ever since Sushant’s death, a lot of people have come forward and admitted that they need help. They are talking openly about mental health, what it means and trying to create awareness about it. Moreover, since the last one year, there is a lot that has happened in the world and in the entertainment industry - from uncertain future, to lack of jobs, no money, health issues etc. People have started understanding why communication is important. Yet, we have a long way to go. People need to understand what mental health issue is. We have to learn that self-love is important too.

If you’re putting out a story against someone’s character, then it’s important that you verify your facts and have the courage to name the subject at least. Sushant was called a skirt chaser, an alcoholic, unprofessional and arrogant in blind items that described him but didn’t name him. He was even accused of molesting a co-actor in one blind piece, but there were no complaints, allegations or proof of any of this in the real world. Yet the damage was done, and he had to stay up several nights, desperately defending himself to the world. I hope this never happens to anyone again. I am also closely watching the new media narratives about Kartik Aaryan and noticing that things are being said about him without any verification from him.

It was a good thing that so much came out, there were so many inequalities in the industry. Sushant’s death brought out so many thing prevalent in the industry, but I am not sure if anything has changed. But my counter to this is, how much change has it brought? Have deserving people started getting work? Has it become easier for them? I don’t think directors have started taking calls of nobodies. I don’t want to name a filmmaker, he came to me during the pandemic last year, and said ‘I love you as an artist, there is no chance I am not going to give you work’. It’s been then and now, he is not answering my calls. It’s unfortunate. I am not sure anything has changed.

People have unrealistic expectations about Bollywood. It’s a cut-throat business. There is a severe lack of professionalism at different levels and there’s an unsaid hierarchy. This is no meritocracy. Very few people understand the nature of this business and that’s where all the trouble lies. Sushant was a bright star and had a fantastic career. I wish I had his career. Conversations on camps and lobbies have increased. A lot of people felt empowered to share what they feel about this business, may be out of vengeance, motivation or to just shake things up. It’s undeniable that his unfortunate demise has given many people the courage to speak out. What we’ve also realised is that there are power structures and they are fighting to destroy and decimate each other.

Whatever happened last year was a very sad thing, and we all should understand one thing that actors are also human and have emotions, who have our professional targets and commitments. There are times when people just start judging actors or mocking them when we post something on social media, without thinking that there may be a reason behind it. The world should be less judgmental and more understanding. When it comes to the culture of blind items, I cannot say ke kitna change hua hai, but at least people have started talking about it and calling it out, which is a good thing.

There were conversations about the inner lives of young actors, the pressures they live with on a daily basis and the demons they fight away from the public eye. A lot of friends and well-wishers reached out to me as they must have for every young actor out there. In a few days though, the conversations became convoluted, and instead of sympathising with his colleagues and friends who were dealing with the loss, some sections of the media turned it into a headless witchhunt. Hope we can bring back some empathy into our conversations about young people’s internal struggles especially in an industry that keeps you on your toes all the time.

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Both my daughter and I were huge fans of Sushant Singh Rajput. I liked him because he is my namesake and also he was a great actor and we’re both artists. I felt some sort of connect with him because of that. When I heard the news of his death I was shocked, I just could not believe and I then decided that I have to honour him in some way. That is when I decided to make his full length wax statue. There is no wax statue of Sushant anywhere in the world. This is a very popular attraction at my museum and people from all over come, especially so many of his fans, to get a picture clicked with the statue. This is my tribute to Sushant and something that is going to always remain special for me.

Emotionally, it has been the toughest time. But I thought of starting something in his name to honour him. He has always been a big-hearted person and as his fans, we need to carry that forward. So, I started this initiative wherein I have been making stuff and selling them. Earnings from the drive are being used to feed the needy. I have distributed food items among the homeless. Many fans of SSR have helped us in this initiative, they have contributed regularly. For now, we want to continue our efforts.

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