When, If Ever, Will Bollywood Get on the Responsibility Wagon?

Ranveer asks fans to make noise near a hospital, and well, I have questions.

Ranveer Singh at Gully Boy promotions.

(Photo: Yogen Shah)

Gully Boy promotions are in full swing - and to great effect. Be it the trailer or the music, the upcoming film has got everyone’s adrenaline pumping. Added to this wild mix is Ranveer Singh’s all-encompassing energy. Unfortunately, his devil-may-care attitude may have got the better of him. Recently, at a promotional event held near Mumbai’s JJ Hospital, Ranveer was recorded telling the audience to make enough noise to wake up the dead from the morgue of the hospital.

Yikes! It doesn’t end there, though. He then proceeded to tell the audience that the police might show up but that they needn’t worry because he has enough of an influence.

Quickly listing out the problems here: privilege, power play, derogatory/insensitive remarks about literal dead people and a lot of cringe-inducing tones. Surely, people like Ranveer Singh could get a crowd to enjoy an event without resorting to distasteful comments? Has our need for entertainment now surpassed the basic respect we owe to other human beings (dead or alive)?

What’s worse is, it is us who enable him to make such insensitive statements and get away with it. Defying convention is a personal choice but is it so wrong to expect some responsibility from people who have the power to influence the lives of millions?

This isn’t the first time Bollywood disappointed though. Last Diwali, Priyanka Chopra’s face was rained down upon us as she dramatically crooned about her problems with asthma, urging people to not light fireworks. Was I impressed? Absolutely. I say throw out everything that causes pollution; Delhi can hardly breathe to begin with. However, things took a questionable turn when days later she lit up the Jaipur skies in a grand display for her “special day”.

Speaking of special days, how much is too much? While it is unfair to not expect a hype around celebrity weddings, what does stick out is a burning question - how much is too much? Receptions that go on for decades, or veils that could have clothed a village - where do we draw the line? One could argue that a wedding is not a public, but a personal affair. But how personal is a wedding that publicises its progressions with every passing day? If one is to involve the fans, then one must, for sure, also think of the message being put forward for them to consume? PETA also pointed out how PC’s fairytale wedding didn’t think too much of the horses and elephants hired for show.

So are we saying all social responsibility is only for the common man to think about while the rich and the famous do as they please?

For years, B-town has shied away from taking a stand on any social issue. It was only recently when the #MeToo movement showed up on their door that some seemingly powerful voices from the industry spoke out. So why does a community that thrives on “thanking fans for everything” not feel responsible towards them as well? Is the give-and-take relationship a one-way road?