Manoj Bajpayee on public anger over Sushant Singh Rajput’s death: ‘It is very important for us to answer those questions’

Manoj Bajpayee says Bollywood will have to take the rage against Sushant Singh Rajput’s death seriously.

Actor Manoj Bajpayee has explained why the public anger over the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput is justified and should be taken seriously by Bollywood. Sushant died by suicide on June 14 at 34 years of age.

Manoj Bajpayee and Sushant Singh Rajput played dacoits in Sonchiriya.

Manoj, who worked with Sushant in their 2019 film Sonchiriya, talked to ZoomTV about the questions of partiality being raised against Bollywood. He said that when celebrities consider the people’s praises of them valid, their criticisms should also be heard.

“If the anger is directed towards you, I have to ask the question, right?! When I say that people are right when they are making my film a hit, when the same people are asking me questions, it becomes very important for us to answer those questions. This is (something) what the government also does,” he said.

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Sushant’s death has shed a new light on Bollywood’s unfair treatment of outsiders and partiality towards star kids and insiders. His fans have been voicing their anger online, demanding a boycott of star kids’ and their supporters’ films.

Manoj, had earlier talked about Sushant, saying that the late actor had achieved more than he ever could at 34. He told Pinkvilla in an interview, “All of us have our highs and lows and emotions. Sushant was no different. I don’t think I am as talented as that. I don’t think I am as intelligent and as bright as he used to be. I don’t think I had achieved anything till the age of 34, what he achieved, as compared to his achievements. I feel that my achievements are very very small. That is how I remember him. I don’t remember him not only as a good human being.”

On nepotism, he told WION, “Let me start with this, the world is not fair. I have been saying this since 20 years that as an industry we celebrate mediocrity. Forget about industry, as a nation we celebrate mediocrity. Something is lacking somewhere -- in our thought process, our value system. When we see talent, we immediately want to ignore or push it away. This is the value system of ours which is so deplorable.”

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