Anubhav Sinha says he had enough, 'resigns' from Bollywood
Amid the raging insider-outsider debate in the entertainment fraternity, tempers continue to soar among its members. In a recent outburst of emotion, filmmaker Anubhav Sinha put out an angry tweet, saying he has had enough and is therefore resigning from Bollywood. Soon after that, fellow directors Sudhir Mishra and Hansal Mehta also voiced a similar opinion. Here's what went down.
Anubhav, known for hard-hitting movies such as Article 15 and Thappad, on Tuesday put out a tweet that read, "Enough! I hereby resign from Bollywood. Whatever the f**k that means (sic)." He also changed his name on Twitter. It now reads, "Anubhav Sinha (Not Bollywood)." Minutes after that, Sudhir Mishra also posted a similar note, questioning the definition of the term "Bollywood."
Naming acclaimed writers/directors like Satyajit Ray and Raj Kapoor, Mishra added he wanted to be part of the cinema inspired by them. "That's where I'll always be," he noted. Mehta also jumped in to contribute, saying that Bollywood "never existed in the first place." In separate tweets, the filmmakers clarified they aren't quitting work, and will continue to work for the "Hindi film industry."
चलो दो लोग BOLLYWOOD से बाहर। अपन हिंदी फ़िल्म इंडस्ट्री में रह के फ़िल्में बनाएँगे।
— Anubhav Sinha (Not Bollywood) (@anubhavsinha) July 21, 2020
यह ले अपनी लकुटी कम्बरिया, बहुतही नाच नचायो। https://t.co/gimZWCIKgK
Well, these comments aren't a bolt from the blue. The film fraternity's infighting was triggered and issues of nepotism and favoritism reignited after actor Sushant Singh Rajput's tragic demise last month. Earlier, actor Raveena Tandon had said that "mean girl groups" and "camps" do exist in Bollywood. In another instance, director Abhinav Kashyap had accused Salman Khan of bullying him and sabotaging his career.
Recently, actor Kangana Ranaut, while raising questions about the industry's nepotism, attacked her colleagues Swara Bhasker and Taapsee Pannu, calling them "needy outsiders" and "B-grade actresses." Not the ones to silently take such attacks, both of them hit back at Kangana. "I refuse to take advantage of someone's death for personal vendetta and I refuse to make mockery out of the industry," Taapsee said.
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap also recently criticized Kangana in a series of tweets. He said he can't recognize Kangana any more, who was once his close friend. Hitting at her "well-wishers," Kashyap said, "By not showing the mirror to Kangana, you are finishing her."
