Are industry friendships for real?
Genuine friendships appear hard to come by in the film industry, where you are only as good as your last film.
When Vidya Balan recently confessed that she had “almost no industry friends” and that she had “rubbed industry personalities the wrong way”, it once again showed how the world of showbiz is a lonely place, where relationships are transient and friendships are all about being in the good books of everyone.
Those who have been outspoken have often found themselves at the receiving end, with the industry ganging up against them. When Kangana Ranaut recently accused Karan Johar of nepotism on his own show, the actress suddenly found herself isolated, with even her so-called well-wishers coming out in support of the filmmaker.
Kangana isn’t an exception. Even the most celebrated names in showbiz have had to bear the brunt of their actions when they unintentionally offended their good old friends. Like a famed lyricist and writer, a former Member of Parliament, who saw his professional equations falling apart when he got the Corporate Amendment Bill passed in the Parliament.
Friendships in showbiz are mostly opportunistic, where groupism and lobbying pave the way to prime projects. Those who choose to walk it alone often find it a challenge. When veteran actor Govinda decided to produce his own film Aa Gaya Hero, very few of his co-stars came out in his support. Govinda said, “I decided to go alone and single-handedly make the film. I had made up my mind and had no expectations. I have nothing against anyone but relationships in this industry are short-lived, there are no permanent friends in this place.”
Actress Mannara Chopra, who was recently seen in Rogue, says that the industry is a rather lonely place to be in. “A majority of actors struggle to find genuine friends. More often than not, you come across people with hidden selfish motives and you never know if someone is genuinely a well-wisher. Luckily, I have found amazing friends in my co-workers, so it would be unfair to say it’s always the case. But one has to be careful of fake people around them,” she cautions.
Veteran script and screenplay writer Rajeev Kaul says, “There are no permanent friends in the industry. Friendships here change from film to film. Once the film is over, they don’t even recognise you. It is like you are part of the past.” Rajeev feels that the words “friendship” and “close ties” have become redundant these days. “Gone are the days when friendship sealed a film, when deals were made without advances. Not surprisingly, filmmakers today don’t even conceptualise films revolving around friendship,” he says. However, not everyone agrees. Actor-producer and now consultant to several key projects, Vivek Vaswani, who stood by Shah Rukh Khan in the initial days of his career, feels that the ones who are complaining about long-lost friends are “playing the victim card”. “These are all purely business relationships of give and take. The ones who are affected are those who confuse friendship with business relationships. When I helped Shah Rukh Khan to take his first steps in the industry 30 years ago, there were no pre-conditions attached. He was a friend and stayed in my house for two years and I co-produced Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman with him. It was wonderful, he has moved on in life but we are still great friends and acknowledge each other’s presence when we meet,” he says. “I fail to understand what groupism has got to do with friendship. It is all part of the business and profession. We go on the sets, work together, and promote the film together because we are professionals. Once the film is over, they go their way and I go mine,” he adds. Actor Harshvardhan Rane, who has acted in several Telugu films including Prema Ishq Kaadhal, Anamika, Avunu and Geethanjali, feels that while business dealings in the industry require one to be politically correct, some friendships in the industry are for keeps, like the one he shares with actor Rana Daggubati. “I can never forget Rana’s contribution to my career and life, and today, we continue to be the greatest of friends. When I initially worked in a couple of films of Suresh Productions, his father’s banner, he was the one who instilled confidence in me. He taught me the basics of fitness, celebrated all my birthdays and guided me. Today, the two of us are regularly in touch with each other,” he says. “We can be ourselves in front of each other and say exactly what we feel. When there are no expectations, friendships become stronger. They are far more important than a few projects or roles.”