The death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020 has led to a surge in boycott calls against Bollywood films, with fans and industry insiders alike claiming that some big names in the industry sidelined and ignored him. Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar has now added his voice to the debate, stating that the film industry may have ignored the actor, and that this has contributed to the current trend of boycott culture. Speaking on Maniesh Paul’s podcast, Bhandarkar said, “Maybe the industry ignored him… He was from a non-film background and he came and he struggled… It was a very unfortunate, untimely demise and from there, the anger amid the public got aggravated.
It is the public’s opinion.” However, he also acknowledged that if a film has strong content and is well-made, people will go and watch it, as evidenced by the success of recent releases such as Kantara, The Kashmir Files, and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. Bhandarkar’s comments add to the ongoing debate about the role of the film industry in supporting new talent and promoting diversity in the industry.
