'We refuse to acknowledge the bad side of Bollywood'

It has been almost a year since the death of Sushant Singh Rajput shocked the industry, sparking off a discussion around Bollywood's way of working. Talking on the same, Vivek Oberoi said that the industry is incapable of taking criticism. He wonders the reasons for hesitance to accept the loopholes and flaws.

"We have our good side, but we refuse to acknowledge our bad side. For any individual, industry or fraternity to flourish, one needs to know ki hum mein kitni khamiyan hai along with our mistakes and the wrongs of the industry," said Oberoi.

He added, "But we have a little bit of ostrich syndrome because we do not acknowledge that hamari industry mein kuch gadbad hai."

"In 2020, there was a major tragedy in our industry. Then also nobody wanted to really and truly acknowledge that there is something systematically wrong in the industry and just wanted to write it off ki ek incident ho gaya," he stated while referencing Rajput's death.

After Rajput was found dead in his apartment in Mumbai on June 14, 2020, several talk points emerged, from nepotism to the ruthless ways of Bollywood. The question that remains unanswered is whether it started the wheel of change.

"Whether it is a big star or a small actor and when we lose people due to some unfortunate incident, it should lead to introspection," shared the 44-year-old actor. Oberoi further revealed the biggest complaint about the industry, which he joined in 2002.

"There are a lot of things in the industry that I'm proud of. But there are also things that I'm not proud of and we should be okay to speak about it openly. I do not know why we are scared to openly talk about it," mentioned the 'Shootout at Lokhandwala' star.

Speaking on what change he wishes to see in the industry, Vivek said, "We should take criticism just like we take love and appreciation. We should be able to accept it with the same spirit. We need to realise and recognise our mistakes. That is the first step towards change."