Cargo actress Shweta Tripathi debunks Bollywood's so-called drug nexus; asks, why should we judge 'if there is no harm or hurt?' [Exclusive]

BollywoodLife put Shweta Tripathi of Cargo, Masaan and The Gone Game fame on the hot seat in an exclusive interview, quizzing her about Bollywood's perceived drug connections and the unspoken drug mafia that people on the outside are believing exists in the industry, and here's what she had to say

A lot of fingers have been pointed at Bollywood of late in the wake of the Sushant Singh Rajput case, especially after the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) arrested Rhea Chakraborty and others accused on drug-related charges, leading to several rumours about a drug nexus rife in the underbelly of Bollywood news circles. So, who better to question about this than those who work in the industry. Recently, BollywoodLife put Shweta Tripathi of Cargo, Masaan and The Gone Game fame on the hot seat in an exclusive interview, quizzing her about Bollywood's perceived drug connections and the unspoken drug mafia that people on the outside are believing exists in the industry, and here's what she had to say.

Questioning the bad rap that only Bollywood gets analogous to other industries, Shweta Tripathi said, “I feel that if in life whoever does what in whatever way, and if they have control over it, be it alcohol, drugs or food, be it any sin, the so-called sins we believe are such, if there is no harm or hurt, then...(why should we judge). I mean if we start talking about drinking and what people do after drinking, there is no comparison. I think it is very easy to judge. If drugs are done, it's not only in this industry, that would be very convenient. In other words, glamour, casting couch, whatever bad is there in the world, exists in our industry (Bollywood) alone. The other industries are all clean. I am not saying that everything that happens or spoken about is false. I have not faced, but that does not mean it doesn't exist.”

Revealing how the industry has changed for the better down the years, the actress added, “Thankfully, from what i know, what I understand and what I've heard, things are much cleaner. Many years back, contracts (in the industry) were not even valued. So, all this used to happen, I'm not denying that. When I get to hear all that, I;m very blessed that I'm a part of the industry. Maybe, if I had entered in the 90s, I don't know what kind of movies I'd have done, how I'd done them. Now thank to OTT, a film like Masaan gets released in theatres, but people still have the chance to watch it (later). Or a film like Cargo because of the lockdown is at least coming on screens near you. So, there's good, bad and ugly in everyone in every industry, but rather than focusing on the ugly, let's appreciate the good.”

So, what do you have to say now after Shweta Tripathi's revelations about Bollywood and the perceived drug mafia plaguing it?