From Kangana Ranaut, Priyanka Chopra to Ranbir Kapoor actors have played characters that were affected by the use of rampant drug use.
Amid the Sushant Singh Rajput death inquiry and Rhea Chakraborty's arrest on Tuesday by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), one factor that has emerged in the spotlight is the substance and drug angle. The NCB is already probing the drug use angle in the actor's death case.
However, drugs and Bollywood have been connected in the past with filmmakers highlighting its use and the negative effects of it on their characters. From Kangana Ranaut, Priyanka Chopra to Ranbir Kapoor actors have played characters that were affected by the use of rampant drug use.
Let us take a look at films that depicted substance abuse through the Bollywood lens.
1. Ranbir Kapoor in 'Sanju'
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Rajkumar Hirani's film Sanju had Ranbir Kapoor playing the role of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt as the movie depicted his life and journey. The film depicts the dark phase of Sanjay's life when he was addicted to drugs. In the film, Ranbir is seen hooked to drugs and alcohol and highlights his struggle, fight, and victory over his substance addiction.
2. Kangana Ranaut, Priyanka Chopra in 'Fashion'
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Madhur Bhandarkar made Fashion and gave fans a glimpse into the world of glamour and style. In the film, Kangana Ranaut essayed the role of top model Shonali who is about to fall from grace after she gets addicted to substance abuse. While the focus of the film stayed on the protagonist played by Priyanka Chopra and her journey into this world of glamour, drug use and substance abuse was a parallel narrative that ran through the film.
3. Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt in 'Udta Punjab'
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Udta Punjab, a film by Abhishek Chaubey, starring Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor Khan, and Diljit Dosanjh is based around the state of Punjab which reportedly had a blatant drug abuse issue.
The movie shows a drug-addicted singing sensation, Tommy Singh, played by Shahid and Alia's character who gets trapped by a gang of drug peddlers. Shahid was shown as a rockstar rapper who was always high on drugs and how it affected him mentally.
4. Konkana Sen Sharma in 'Page 3'
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Madhur Bhandarkar is known for making films that show the good, bad, and the ugly of the entertainment industry. His film, Page 3 was no different as it showed the audience the ugly side of showbiz.
Throwing light on the popular Page 3 culture in the industry, the film revolved around a rookie journalist, played by Konkona Sen working for a tabloid and how she is exposed to the dark underbelly of tinsel town. The film shows a scene where the narcotics bureau raids a filmy party where they find famous names caught doing drugs and other illegal activities.
5. Abhay Deol in 'Dev D'
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A modern look at classic 'Devdas', filmmaker Anurag Kashyap’s Dev D is a story where the protagonist turns to alcohol after his lover marries another person. Starring Abhay Deol in the lead character, the film shows him seeking refuge in alcohol and drugs after his lover marries someone else.
