MUMBAI: Filmmaker Hansal Mehta has opened up in defence of Bollywood in a series of tweets. Although he calls it an untargetted ramble, Mehta seems to be responding to actress Kangana Ranaut, who recently tweeted allegations about rampant drug use in Bollywood parties.
Kangana had mentioned how cocaine and MDMA crystals are widely consumed in film and house parties. The actress had also alleged that she was exposed to the sinister world of drugs, debauchery and mafia after becoming successful.
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Without mentioning Kangana or her tweets, Mehta, who directed the actress in the 2017 film "Simran", tweeted a series of comments from his verified account on Monday, saying that although the Hindi film industry has its rotten apples, it is unfair to generalise all artistes as debauches.
His tweets read: "I've spent nearly 23 years making movies in Bombay. Not every party has been scintillating but some I've attended have been usually fun, full of camaraderie, bonding with colleagues and mostly great conversations over booze, cigarettes and some great, great food."
"Just like Bollywood is a generic term that I disown I think any generalisation about the film industry being mostly about drugs, sex and scandals is unfair. Also the industry being unfair and mean is also a most unfair generalisation. This is an industry of artists not debauches."
"Like any industry there are rotten apples, there are mean people, there are bad experiences. But these pale in comparison to the kind of friendships, acceptance and love I have found through all these years. I'm an outsider but I've never let myself feel left out."
"I think ultimately it's about you -- do you choose positivity over negativity? Do you choose satisfaction over success? Do you choose optimism over pessimism? Do you choose love over bitterness? Do you choose joy over bitterness?"
"Toxicity often engulfs your life through experiences, relationships, failure but it's how you move on that counts most. How well you cope with the present is most important as is how well you let go of a bitter past. This is true for life. Not just one industry or its people."
"Stop targeting one industry just because they make a livelihood from engaging with you by creating stories for your entertainment. Don't make these storytellers the story. Treat them the way you would any normal human being. Ok bye. Lengthy, untargetted ramble over."
Hansal Mehta's series of tweets come hours after senior lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani raised a question on Monday afternoon regarding whether Kangana's allegations, which she also repeated in a television interview on Saturday, were true.
"A Bollywood actress makes a serious charge claiming personal knowledge on a TV channel with a large viewership that 99% of Bollywood consumes narcotic drugs. Not one person from that industry contradicts her. What inference is the public to draw from this deafening silence?" Jethmalani tweeted from an unverified account on Monday afternoon.
Kangana had spoken about drugs, Bollywood and her personal experience in a series of tweets last week that read: "If narcotics Control Bureau enters Bullywood, many A listers will be behind bars, if blood tests are conducted many shocking revelations will happen. Hope @PMOIndia under swatchh Bharat mission cleanses the gutter called Bullywood."
"I was still a minor my mentor turned tormentor used to spike my drinks and sedate me to prevent me from going to cops, when I became successful and got entry in to the most famous film parties I was exposed to the most shocking and sinister world and drugs,debauchery and mafia."
"Most popular drug in the film industry is cocaine, it is used in almost all house parties it's very expensive but in the beginning when you go to the houses of high and mighty it's given free, MDMA crystals are mixed in water and at times passed on to you without your knowledge."
The actress had also alleged that Sushant Singh Rajput has been killed because he came to know about "dirty secrets".
"I am more than willing to help @narcoticsbureau but I need protection from the centre government, I have not only risked my career but also my life, it is quiet evident Sushanth knew some dirty secrets that's why he has been killed," Kangana had written in a separate tweet from her verified account last week.
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