In an explosive interaction, Bollywood actress Koena Mitra slammed Bollywood was treating Sushant as an outsider.
“Sushant was such a bright guy, good looking actor and he succeeded with good films. Despite that, I read a statement that he was treated like an outsider, not invited to parties and weddings. A lot of people have experienced this, he is not the first one. The film industry will not treat you like family till the time your family doesn’t belong to the industry or if you are not a camp follower. It’s pretty sad. He’s not the first one and there are many such Sushants in our industry. I would never call him a coward, no one knows what he was going through. No one has the right to call him weak, quitter, and that he couldn’t handle it. Maybe he was very angry and knew that it was of no help of showing his anger.”
Koena suggests that those actors who enter Bollywood from different sections are often bullied. “Those writing essays mourning his death used to mock him because he was a TV star. There is discrimination we have in our industry. If you are from the fashion industry, models can’t do anything, if you are from the TV industry, they say you don’t have a standard, are not of the same category. Imagine the kind of rejection, discrimination John Abraham, Sushmita, Priyanka had to face. I am happy to see them do so well now.
A couple of years back a lot of people were behind Priyanka Chopra, trying to finish her. But she was smart enough, she moved out of this mess and has started doing so well,” shared Koena. Hitting out at filmmaker Karan Johar, Koena added, “Karan Johar does not have the license of this industry. It is shown as if he presents or rejects something then it is the ultimate thing. But no, the industry is an ocean and we are tiny little drops in it. He is also a drop in it. No one can decide who works and who should be rejected.”
Citing her own example of being bullied, Koena shared, “I was performing with Vivek Oberoi at a show, after which I was invited by a superstar where I was told that people will corner me now because Vivek is not liked by a certain camp. That’s fine, but I don’t have any problems with him. And I’m a professional artist. I run my house.
If somebody is hiring me for a job I’m good at it, that’s why they’re hiring me. I don’t have the license or power to judge my co-actors. I was told again, and again, how it will destroy me because I was seen with him. I don’t understand why the industry has to choose sides if two people have problems. If you choose a master then everything is okay otherwise you are bad.”
