Bollywood not completely black: Chetan Bhagat

Bestselling author Chetan Bhagat insists that Bollywood's portrayal in the media post the Sushant Singh Rajput tragedy has been disappointing and far-fetched. Stressing that the industry may have its problems, but to paint everybody as evil and a drug addict is "absolute nonsense".

Himself an 'outsider', on whose books, several films including '3 Idiots', 'Hello', 'Kai Po Che', '2 States' and 'Half Girlfriend' have been made, the writer said, "There is no Star Trek like control room in the film industry where everybody is sitting, doping and conspiring against people.

Yes, it's a highly competitive place where only a few films can be made, and a lot of people want to be part of it. And that is bound to bring a certain stress. Of course, it's not perfect, but it's not all black."

Lashing out at the media circus surrounding the young actor's death, the author, whose latest book 'One Arranged Murder' (Westland Publications) recently hit the stands told.

"Sushant's death came as a shock and there was bound to be confusion. But I still don't get it -- what was Mumbai Police doing so wrong that there was such a media outrage over their investigations? And now that the CBI has taken over, considering it was tough to ask for FBI or Scotland Yard, still, each night on prime time, everyone is trying to solve the case. Are you smarter than those 15 sleuths? Strange conspiracy theories with not even a shred of evidence that will hold strong in court are discussed night after night. With such stories, one should go to a publisher. At least I am honest -- I say I write stories and they are fiction."

Adding that at a time when the economy is in a free-fall and tensions with China are at its peak, television channels are too busy 'solving' the Sushant Singh Rajput case, the writer goes on to add, "We just want to focus on conspiracy theories and become Sherlock Holmes."

Indo-Asian News Service