Here's why Rahul Roy calls Bollywood 'not a fair place'

Rahul Roy. Image sourced from mid-day archives

There couldn't have been a bigger debut than that of Rahul Roy. It was the year 1990 when Mahesh Bhatt introduced this actor in the world of films with his musical blockbuster, Aashiqui. Immediately after the release, Roy was the next big thing of Bollywood. The actor, post the staggering success of his debut, went on to do films like Junoon, Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee, Gumrah, Ghazab Tamasha, Naseeb, and Achanak, to name a few, but none of these titles could recreate the magic his debut film did. And slowly and gradually, we began to see less of him. He did go on to win the first season of Bigg Boss, though.

With the debate on nepotism and insider-outsider ranging after the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, the actor has opened up on his film struggles and how an outsider has to work much harder to get his share of fame. Speaking to Hindustan Times, the actor said, "Bollywood is not a fair place. Having said that, there's a chance to be able to break through those walls and achieve something. Look at it as a challenge, not everybody can go through. With web platforms coming in, a lot of newcomers are also getting opportunities. But from the producers' point of view, how many have the guts to really make something which is totally with newcomers? At the end of the day, the business is structured in India, not on the content, but which star is driving it. And that's been there for many years."

Roy also claimed that even distributors don't pay money for newcomers. "They pay for the banner, newcomers get the opportunities. You focus on your profession and enjoy that. Once you are liked, that'll propel you to the next level. If it takes time, enjoy," he quips.

The 52-year-old actor added, "It is gut-wrenching when youngsters who aren't able to make it big in the industry, decide to end their lives. Who knows who went through that particular weak moment. I'm just saying, anybody who wants to come into this profession, come with the right mentality and stability, to make sure, no matter what anybody is saying or trying to push you into a corner, you'll be able to take that. Because, unfortunately, isn't going to go away. With social media, people are only becoming more aware about it, which is a great start".

This isn't the first time the Aashiqui star has spoken about his career. In an earlier interview, the actor had said how his films were not doing well, how he could be repeating himself, and how this could have been a reason to bid adieu to the Hindi film industry, "The films I was doing were not doing well. Not that I was not getting offers, the big banners might not come but there was still an influx of offers but you know, my growth as an actor was stagnant. I did not want to do the same thing. There was a combination of a lot of things," he stated.

The actor's death has shocked the Bollywood industry. his suicide has created a huge wave in Bollywood. Several celebrities like Dharmendra, Koena Mitra, Shamita Shetty, Rithvik Dhanjani, Raveena Tandon have revealed the dark side of the showbiz.

Also Read: Rahul Roy: Mahesh Bhatt Was Adamant On Casting Me For Aashiqui

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