Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar shared a video on his verified Twitter account on Saturday, defending the film industry against rampant allegations of drug abuse. Akshay said: I speak to you with a heavy heart. Over the past few weeks, several things have come to my mind but there is so much negativity everywhere that I was unable to decide what to say. Although we are called stars, you have created Bollywood with all your love. We are not just an industry. Through our films, we have spread values and culture of our nation to every corner of the world. For years now we have tried to reflect the sentiments of the common people of our country through our films. Be it the angry young man brand of anger, corruption, poverty or unemployment — cinema has tried to reflect all these issues in its style. So, if you are angry today, we understand and respect it.
After Sushant Singh Rajput’s sudden death, several issues have come to the forefront, which pained us as much as they have done to you. Today, narcotics and drugs are the most talked-about topics. I can’t keep my hand on my heart and lie to you saying this problem does not exist. It does exist just as it possibly exists in every other industry and profession. But that doesn’t mean every single person is involved in it. Drugs are a legal matter, and I have full faith in the investigation. Everyone from the film industry will co-operate with them. But I request you not to generalise the entire industry. This is not right. I will request the media to continue to raise their voice but do it a little sensitively because one piece of negative news about a person will tarnish years of hard work and reputation