The tragic death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in June 2020 left the entire nation shaken. Even today, the mystery surrounding his demise remains unresolved, and his fans continue to seek answers. Beyond personal loss, Sushant’s death ignited a massive debate around nepotism, favoritism, and internal politics in Bollywood—questions that still haunt the industry.

Sushant’s Death and the Nepotism Debate

Sushant was widely seen as a talented outsider who had carved his own path in the film industry. After his passing, many believed that industry politics and systematic sidelining of non-industry actors played a role in his mental distress. The discussion around how outsiders are treated in Bollywood became louder than ever.

Fresh Allegations: Is Kartik Aaryan the New Target?

Now, years later, similar concerns have resurfaced—this time involving Kartik Aaryan. Following the underwhelming box office performance of his recent film Tu Meri Main Tera, a viral reel has sparked controversy. The reel suggests that a deliberate agenda is being run to tarnish Kartik’s image and damage his career.

According to the viral video, criticism of a film is fair and valid—but repeatedly branding a particular actor as a “fake PR product” crosses a line. The reel claims that certain content creators and big YouTubers are allegedly being paid to run negative campaigns, not against films, but against the actor personally.

Suniel Shetty’s Silent Support Raises Eyebrows

What added fuel to the fire was veteran actor Suniel Shetty liking the reel, which many interpreted as his indirect agreement with the claims. The reel further draws parallels with Sushant Singh Rajput’s case, stating that such tactics are not criticism but a way of closing doors for outsiders in the industry.

The influencer behind the video captioned it powerfully:

“This isn’t about liking or disliking a film. It’s about where criticism ends and cruelty begins. You can question the story, screenplay, direction, or songs. But personal abuse, targeted hatred, and attempts to end an outsider’s career point to something deeply wrong.”

Criticism vs Character Assassination

While audiences have every right to criticize cinema, the growing concern is about paid negativity, personal attacks, and systematic image destruction. The debate once again forces Bollywood to confront an uncomfortable question—are outsiders still fighting an uneven battle?

As discussions intensify, fans are left wondering: Is Bollywood repeating the same mistakes it was warned about after Sushant Singh Rajput’s death? Only time will tell, but the conversation around fairness and transparency in the film industry is far from over.