It was by chance that my friend director R discovered the rampancy of drugs in Bollywood.
“I was shooting with this actor, a dedicated disciple of Naseeruddin Shah, who has been in more than one of my films.He simply leaned over between shots and asked me if I’d like some cocaine. This was at 11 am, and he was talking as if he was offering me a cigarette. I thought he was joking. But he said he was serious and that he took snorts in between shots. Because it kept his spirits high. I told him, no thanks. I was not a snort guy. I was a swig guy. I liked my drinks, never drugs. The actor said actors can’t afford to drink beyond socially. Because drinks show on your face the next morning, Drugs don’t show up at all,” the director tells me.
The revelation left me in shock. I belonged to the a minuscule populace that believed Bollywood was being maligned out of hatred jealousy and political motives. But Kangana Ranaut who has been running a smear campaign against Bollywood’s “drug mafia” is having the last laugh.
Sources say drugs are indeed rampant in the entertainment. A co-star of a leading actress who has been named by an alleged drug supplier says, “Everyone knows about Bollywood stars’ drug habits. Yeah, she was doing drugs when shooting with me. But don’t quote me on this. Bollywood’s drug mafia is the best kept secret of the entertainment industry.”
A senior actress says drugs were consumed even in the 1970s. “But not so frequently. Actors were more into affairs than drugs. And they believed drugs caused impotency. When I shot with D(she names a stud hero known as the he-man) he said he stayed away from all drugs because they killed his mardangi.He was happy with his drinks. I think substance abuse became prevalent in Bollywood in the new millennium. I’ve heard top actors like H(she names a superstar) do cocaine.And so do their wives. If it’s true then it’s really sad and disturbing.”
Several actors and filmmakers, I spoke to named one recent actor who shot to stardom with a war film as a chronic offender. Others mentioned a star-son known for his dancing and acting chops as a cocaine fan. Also mentioned very prominently is an actress who has been very vocal about the “drug mafia” in Bollywood.
“Almost 90 percent of today’s stars are into drugs. They feel they give better shots in front of the camera after a shot or a snort” marvels a movie moghul.