Sushant Singh Rajput passes away: Ranvir Shorey calls out 'self-appointed gatekeepers of Bollywood' on Twitter

The news of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput passing away by suicide on 14 June had rattled everyone in the country. It had also sparked the age-old topic of nepotism and the difficulty of an outsider to rise in the industry.

(Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput passes away: The unspoken hierarchies in Bollywood and what it means to be an 'outsider')

Celebrities like Shekhar Kapur, Gulshan Devaiah, and Anubhav Sinha have hinted at the contribution of the “Bollywood privilege club” in the actor’s death.

The latest celebrity to shine some light on the “self-appointed gatekeepers of Bollywood” is actor Ranvir Shorey. The Angrezi Medium actor wrote a series of tweets on the “inherited privilege” that the elite club of Bollywood enjoys and gets to decide who will be a star.

Multiple tweets by Shorey, that were shared on Monday, have gone viral on Twitter.

Read Shorey's tweets below

It wouldn’t be fair to blame someone for a step that he took himself. He was playing a high stakes game, where it’s win or lose it all. But something has to be said about the self appointed ‘gatekeepers of Bollywood’.

— Ranvir Shorey (@RanvirShorey) June 15, 2020

Elaborating on the so-called 'gatekeepers' of the film industry, Shorey wrote that it was time something was said about the “games they play, and their two facedness” and the “power they wield with zero accountability”.

Something has to be said about the games they play, and their two facedness. Something has to be said about the power they wield with zero accountability. The power they derive from having inherited privilege in the business and the mainstream media sitting in their lap. — Ranvir Shorey (@RanvirShorey) June 15, 2020

The power to decide who will be a “star” and who will be left out in the cold.
But of course, the coterie that owns the only high stakes table in the casino will never be questioned, because everyone is too busy enjoying the game.
Even if they know it’s fixed.

— Ranvir Shorey (@RanvirShorey) June 15, 2020

Speaking to Times of India earlier, Shorey had spoken in detail about his Sonchiriya co-star. Recalling how Sushant was “very fond of astronomy”, Shorey had admitted that he knew how “fickle and ruthless” Bollywood can be at times.

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A collection of Suicide prevention helpline numbers are available here. Please reach out if you or anyone you know is in need of support. The All-India helpline number is: 022 2754 6669