'I've had one experience of a sexual overture, but we are not a drug cartel or narcos,' says Arjun Mathur [Exclusive]

Arjun Mathur has come a long way since beginning with short films to bagging an Emmy nomination the highest accolade and artist or technician can receive on the small screen for Made in Heaven. Additionally, as someone who's made his way in the film industry as a rank outsider, having struggled for years, he's also in a unique position to sincerely address all the mud-slinging and Bollywood drug link allegations being thrown around by entertainment news media outlets and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and address he did in a fiery exclusive interview with BollywoodLife.

Unequivocally stating that there's no so-called Bollywood drug nexus, Arjun Mathur said, "Look, I will say this very clearly: I don't think there's a bad side of Bollywood the way it's being projected right now. There are elements, there are some elements here an there, like in these 14-15 years, I've had one experience of someone who made a sexual overture toward me, but all these drugs and all, it's all things being pulled out of the air. It's true that networking matters just like every other business, and every field has networking events; in films, we network at parties we have a drink, we enjoy a drink, we smoke some cigarettes, we talk, we eat good, it's normal things. But everything is just being sensationalised at the moment, and I don't think I want to contribute to that sensationalism. So, no, I've not experienced the side of Bollywood that's being projected in the media at all, and I don't know it, you know. We are not a drug cartel, we are not murderous terrorists, or narcos, we are just artists trying to do work, trying to entertain and trying to survive just doing that."

Speaking about how Bollywood is being unjustly targeted, he added, "It's not fair at all, the maligning, the name-calling, and for what? And it's only because we, as the industry, we have chosen to leave ourselves vulnerable and nobody is standing up for the industry. It's really sad and it's really important for all the members of the industry to stand by each other, fight for each other. I think, anything being said about one of is being said about all of us."

Opening up on the hate on social media against the film industry, the actor continued, "It's horrible...it's horrible...I can't tell you. Like, poor Farhan (Akhtar), he posted a tweet just congratulating me and saying, 'Come on, India.' And the things people had to say on that small tweet, it's shocking, I'm absolutely shocked. I'll be very honest, it's all just programming, it's media manipulation. Look at what it's become, look at where we started we started with the suicide of one actor (Sushant Singh Rajput), which people have forgotten completely, from there we went to his girlfriend (Rhea Chakraborty); people have forgotten about her also now, and tomorrow, people will forget about this, too, because the media will have sensationalised something else. All this will keep happening as long as the important things don't get news coverage. So, I think, there are really bigger things to focus on, the country is having much bigger problems."

Well, it's up to you now if you wish to believe sensationalism or the reality.

from Bollywood News and Gossip | Bollywood Movie Reviews, Songs and Videos | Bollywood Actress and Actors Updates | Bollywoodlife.com https://www.bollywoodlife.com/web-series/ive-had-one-experience-of-a-sexual-overture-but-we-are-not-a-drug-cartel-or-narcos-says-arjun-mathur-exclusive-1694005/
via Gr8 Pic