No Time, No Sympathy for Strugglers in Showbiz

Showbiz! It’s filled with glitter, glamour, fame and fortune. But all that can change in the blink of an eye, riding on the whims of Lady Luck. Suddenly you can become a nobody.

A recent appearance by 90s heartthrob and Aashiqui star Rahul Roy in an Instagram reel alongside an influencer triggered polarised opinions. Some ridiculed him, while others felt sorry for him. The actor’s reaction was a simple post urging people to give him work rather than mock his situation.

Rahul Roy, who suffered a brain stroke in 2020 while filming, appealed to the public, saying he was under financial pressure and dealing with pending legal cases, adding that the video appearance was a necessity. “I do my work with honesty. If you are concerned, help me find some decent work,” he wrote. Soon after, actor Sonu Sood and choreographer Farah Khan reached out to extend support, while others posted encouraging messages.

Need for survival

Rahul Roy’s plight once again highlights the adage “out of sight, out of mind” in an industry where visibility drives sales. Film writer and author Yasser Usman says, “It is poignant to see an actor like Rahul Roy, dancing in reels with an influencer. While it received online backlash, with people calling it cringe, I think it’s actually legitimate work. What’s projected as a fall from grace is really just a survivor paying his bills. Rahul Roy likely turned to this only after all other options were exhausted. The real issue is how social media is broadcasting that struggle, turning a person’s private pathos into a trending topic.”

He feels the incident also highlights Bollywood’s inherent class bias. “We don’t call it cringe when big stars dance at random weddings for millions. But when a veteran does reels or small-town events, it’s labelled cringe. Both are performing for a pay cheque. It’s the same hustle, just a different tax bracket.”

It’s a harsh world

Sunny Deol revealed how major production houses had sidelined him when his films were not doing well. His younger brother Bobby spoke about his dark years with no work. Both brothers today are witnessing a career renaissance post the success of Gadar 2 and Animal, being rediscovered after two decades.

Aryan Khan, in the Bollywood satire Ba***ds of Bollywood, took a dig at the industry, showcasing how it discards its own depending on their shifting fortunes, through legal contracts as well as social ostracism.

Rakesh Anand Bakshi, son of noted lyricist and songwriter Anand Bakshi, says this is not a recent phenomenon, but the way of an industry that runs on profit. He recalled that his father was never keen that he made a career in films for one simple reason — he wanted to protect his children from its cruel ways.

Staying relevant

In 2017, Neena Gupta made headlines when she went on social media pleading for work. Her fortunes soon changed. Badhaai Ho became a hit in 2018 and also amplified her social media following. The industry’s poster girl of the 70s and 80s, Zeenat Aman, was largely forgotten until she began sharing nostalgic posts on social media. Her stories won her fans, projects and collaborations alike.

Actors like Fardeen Khan, Imran Khan and Uday Chopra, despite coming from film backgrounds, have spoken about how opportunities dried up after a few flops. A point highlighted by Manoj Bajpayee as well, who, before The Family Man had been struggling to find substantial work.

Quotes

“It is poignant to see an actor like Rahul Roy, once a lead actor in many films, dancing in reels with an influencer. While it received online backlash, with people calling it cringe, I think it’s actually legitimate work — a survivor paying his bills. Rahul Roy likely turned to this only after all other options were exhausted. We don’t call it cringe when big stars dance at random weddings for millions. Both are performing for a pay cheque!”

Yasser Usman Film writer and author

“People see Rahul Roy and assume it’s about one man’s fall, but that’s a misunderstanding of how this industry works. Bollywood has always had a short memory and even shorter patience for failure. Earlier, there was at least time to recover. Today, with social media and instant judgment, careers collapse overnight. The trauma isn’t just losing work, it’s being publicly written off.”

Ravi Kapoor The Bollywood Reporter

“My father said this industry only salutes the rising sun. There were years when his films didn’t do well, and the number of bouquets coming to our house would reduce by more than half. The phone wouldn’t ring. It is an unforgiving place where your value is equated with your last hit, irrespective of the awards you have won or your contribution to its success in the past.”

Rakesh Anand Bakshi, son of noted lyricist and songwriter Anand Bakshi