Fractured by fame: Is Bollywood pressure distroying the stars?

Lights, Camera, Action - and then, the flashes, the red carpets, the illusion of a perfect life outshine everything else. However, behind this glitz and glamour, many actors struggle with insecurity, rejection, and the pressure of being relevant in the industry, where fame and beauty measure success. The staircase to stardom is long and lonely, and it takes a lot of emotional and mental grit to climb.

Reality of the reel

Bollywood is no stranger to casting couch controversies, or the typcaseting and ageism. Though many stars have time and again broken the stereotypical barriers, everyone has faced the fear of ‘expiry date.’ The shelf life of an actor, especially in mainstream cinema, is notoriously short unless backed by consistent box office success or strong PR. The fear of becoming “irrelevant” leads many actors into a constant loop of anxiety.

Times when cinema mirrored reality

Bollywood has occasionally dared to look inward and portray the harsh truths of the industry. Though there are several examples of the same, a few that top every list include Madhur Bhandarkar’s ‘Fashion,’ which was released in 2008. Headlined by Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut, it exposed the drug abuse, toxic competitiveness, and identity crisis models face in the limelight. Four years later, the same filmmaker made another movie, ‘Heroine,’ starring Kareena Kapoor Khan, and this film threw light on the mental unravelling of a superstar struggling with insecurities, loneliness, and addiction.

Another movie that comes to mind when we talk about movies that showed the dark side of the showbiz is Vidya Balan’s ‘The Dirty Picture.’ Loosely based on the real-life account of Silk Smitha, it depicted the rise and tragic fall of a starlet used by the industry and tossed aside when she no longer served its fantasy.Yes, the movies did dramatize a few aspects, their core was rooted in truth, and the audience was able to resonate with the same.

Babil Khan’s recent viral breakdown

A recent moment that left everyone shocked and concerned was when Babil Khan, in a now-deleted video, broke down crying while speaking about Bollywood. In the video that went viral, Babil was seen saying, “Bollywood is so f**ed, Bollywood is so, so rude."It appeared that he was slamming actors like Shanaya Kapoor, Ananya Pandey, Arjun Kapoor, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Raghav Juyal, and more for being rude.Later, Babil’s official Instagram handle was deactivated, and then, his team and family issued a statement saying that his video was misinterpreted and the actor was just having a difficult day.

Mental care professional weighs in

Speaking on the subject of mental pressure that actors go through in the ever-evolving and highly competitive world of cinema, Dr. Dona Singh, a clinical Psychologist, said, “It is about the survival of the fittest.”She said that it is not just Bollywood alone, but every industry comes with its own set of teeth that can bite and bite hard. Thus, “It is our own resilience that plays an important role. It is not easy in any industry; there is a lot of competition and politics, and it's all about survival of the fittest. A lot of people leave the industry, saying I can't take it anymore, while some excel beautifully.”Sharing her thoughts on Babil Khan’s video, she shared, “We can confirm or question the authenticity of the clip. There are chances that Babil Khan was going through a lot of pain, and had a momentary breakdown when he made the video. We can’t say that since he is an actor, he faked it.”

Selection and rejection are very subjective

She continued, “The world of cinema is very fickle. There’s hardly an actor who hasn’t seen flops in his career or hasn’t faced rejections. As an artist, all you can do is put in an effort, as your hard work is in your hands and not the industry. ‘Who is going to pick me and who is not cannot be controlled by me. When facing rejection, I should not be doubting myself, I should be focusing on what to do better or differently to get another chance.”“Just for instance, if Karan Johar wants to pick Alia Bhatt over other actresses, it is his personal choice, it has nothing to do with your acting ability. At the same time, the selection and rejection process is very subjective; it is based on ample facts. It can be about whether or not you are suitable for the role or not. Like, even as an audience, sometimes we say that an xyz actor did good in the movie, but another actor would have been a better choice,” she continued.

Setting boundaries

She further stated, “I am not saying that one should not speak up when facing injustice. Neither am I saying that when injustice happens than it's your fault. However, you need to find the right time and right way to vent out. You have to set boundaries, take a stand and on time. Don't pile up.” “When the Babil Khan incident happened, it didn’t happen after one single episode. He must be going through a lot for a long time, multiple incidents might have accumulated, leading to one massive breakdown. To avoid that, deal with one incident at a time.”“I cannot change the industry, but how I manage my sanity is in my hands and is going to matter the most. Emotional regulation is a must.”Dr. Dona Singh further highlighted that being in the limelight has both pros and cons, and every artist has his or her own way of dealing with them. Some take the call to set the boundary right, and some don’t, and these decisions impact the mental well-being.“You are like an open book, everybody knows what is happening in your life. Few are maintaining boundaries, like Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma, or recently Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, who requested paps not to click their child, while others haven’t been able to take this call. And you need to live with these decisions. Everything comes with pros and cons, have to be ready for both the things. Have to be a little mentally prepared,” she said.

Fame can be short-lived, and the responsibility of the audience

Citing the example of late Sushant Singh Rajput, Dr. Dona Singh added, “What happened with Sushant is very unfortunate, but today, if he would have been alive, he would have seen the amount of love that people are showering on him. Maybe he was going through a rough patch, but perhaps after a year, he would have gotten all that he desired.”

Having said that, she also pointed out that the audience should not take forever to appreciate an artist. “It is the audience that makes a hero, right. The audience should give an artist his due at the right time; showing love after he is gone will not make a difference.”

From the artist’s point

After reaching out to a medical professional, we also reached out to an artist who has seen the lanes of Bollywood up close. Weighing in on the subject, the ‘Indian Police Force’ star Ashrut Jain said, “‘Mental health’ is a topic which many known personalities in Bollywood over the years have exploited to make their interviews and interaction sound mature. Most of them miss the real point.

Mental health

is directly proportional to trauma. Generally, if you don’t suffer a trauma, then your mental health is normally considered good. And if you do, your mental health deteriorates.”

Explaining it further, he used an example - “A hard working actor has given years to the career after getting trained from top acting schools but an Instagram influencer takes away his due just because “some” influencer shares explicit content and people follow them and a producer thinks that atleast his MEDIOCRE story will get some eyeballs with that influencer…this is a mental trauma for all the hard working actors”

Is Bollywood being fair to every actor?

While speaking to us, he made the most candid and raw confessions. Ashrut said, “There are people who think it’s their birthright to be in talks with the producer for every film that is getting made. On the other hand, there is a very conscious approach to hide the project from others, because the ecosystem is such.”

Coming to the chapter of Sushant Singh Rajput and Babil Khan

“It’s clear that

Sushant

was an outsider and Babil is an insider. With Sushant, the journey is from a small town to B-town. With Babil, the journey is from Bandra to the studios of Andheri. And I respect the work of both of them.”“Both of them showed quality work to win the audience, and then the world started knowing them. Unlike “nepo kids” who pay paps to chase them and then start calling themselves known faces because of being Insta famous. Sushant had this immense talent that remained unexplored, and that is bad for mental health. On the other hand, Babil has so much ahead of him,” shared Ashrut, who worked with Sushant in ‘MS Dhoni.’

A social media rant will not make a difference

“No industry likes people who cry on social media. If you have to fight the dark side of Bollywood, then you need to be a bully. To open the walls of industry to outsiders and make space for millions unborn and millions who are unable to find a space. Irfan sahab’s most amazing contribution was that he made sure that talent like his is considered and seen. Hence, ranting on social media won’t make a difference to society! What will make a difference is when we have a proper representation of the right talent in all our content. That will bring glory to Indian cinema,” concluded the actor.In conclusion…The world of Bollywood is a dazzling façade that often conceals the emotional struggles and mental health challenges faced by its stars. As exemplified by Babil Khan's recent breakdown, the pressures of maintaining relevance, dealing with rejection, and battling personal insecurities can lead to profound distress. The industry’s harsh realities, depicted in films like ‘Fashion’ and ‘Heroine,’ serve as poignant reminders of the darker side of fame. Both the public and media need to approach these situations with empathy and understanding, recognizing that every actor's journey is fraught with its unique challenges.