I live in India and I am pretty poor, I hope to be middle-class/upper-middle class someday, but I have noticed something sinister from some people who are extremely privileged, they can be still be bought with money.
Lack of money makes you desperate, and paranoid, and comparison drives you crazy, hard to be morally perfect as a poor man, but I see actors who have made insane amounts of money on the backs of their Indian fans like Shahrukh Khan, Canada Kumar, Ajay Devgan, Hrithik Roshan and many more who are well-respected in the industry and who still can sell their own fans financial ruin (gambling) or death (Tobacco) in ads. I thought the point of being rich was that you could be more moral, what is the use of getting rich if you use your influence and fame to do more harm than good?
Also, all the actors mentioned above have made numerous movies about patriotism, many in their private conversations like to brag how much they “love their country… blah… blah… blah”, but yet they feel ok selling Tobacco to their fans who made them what they are.
I have a cousin who worships Shahrukh Khan and who took up Pan(Tobacco) because he was naive and because he probably thought it was “cool” since his favorite actor (on whom he has modeled all aspects of his life was selling tobacco), thankfully we were able to get him off that a few years ago, but he spent money like water and he gained worse health for it. He got off easy, many suffered financial ruin or even death. So, when is it fucking enough!? When will these people have enough money?
edit: It’s just not India, it happens everywhere (just watch CoffeeZilla to see more prime examples of this) Also, I am not saying I am perfect, if someone gave me an insane amount of money to sell Pan, I will, judge me if you will. But, I like to think if I had “enough” money, I would be immune to the attractions of blood money, I like to think I can try to be as moral as I can be then, but these people almost make me think that there is never “enough” money.
Bollywood actors aren’t moral agents. They’re all assholes, all from upper-caste Sindhi, Punjabi and Tamil background, and the new talents emerge from nepotism, which is why today’s Bollywood, once revered in the entire Global South, has gone to dog-shit. These actors have used loop-holes in the system to amass wealth.
How Shahrukh Khan’s Family Is SECRETLY Scamming India (while we are busy watching Jawan Trailer)
How Sunny Deol Is Secretly Scamming India (while we are busy watching Gadar 2 and its success party)
If you just watch movies from the 40s and 60s in India, you’ll be surprised to see how pro-communist Bollywood was. You know, movies like Awaara and Namak Haraam. I mean, to be honest, the communists had almost five chances to form the government with Jyoti Basu as the prime minister, but fuck him and his ideological purism.