Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt, whose new web series Spotlight explores the dark side of Bollywood, says there are insecure individuals in the film industry.
Of late, multiple actors have spoken up about dealing with issues like depression, bulimia, alcoholism and more but it is still rare for people to talk openly about the problems.
"(In India), I think people are too scared and insecure about leaving their place. If I accept that I am an addict, the producers are going to stop coming to me, and what if I stop getting films? What if my fans run away from me?
"It takes a Deepika (Padukone) to come out and say that I was depressed or Pooja (Bhatt) to say that 'I was alcoholic'. For the rest of them, I don't know if there is an image that they want to portray. Good for them then," Bhatt said.
Talking about Spotlight, the Raaz helmer says the 10-episode web series deals with everything that Bollywood has faced for "the longest of time".
"Spotlight is not based on any true events or a person but it is based on many things that we have heard of actors who are facing oblivion… The outsiders coming into the industry and trying to make their mark, the whole nepotism argument that has been going on. It explores if there's a sense of promiscuity.
"So, it deals with all those things that have been there in Bollywood for the longest of times," Bhatt said.
Bhatt's other digital series is Gehraiyaan in the horror genre, and before these, he had come up with Maaya — which delved into the subject of BDSM.
Talking about Gehraiyaan, he said: "Call it horror, noir or thriller, Gehraiyaan not only explores supernatural elements but will also explore human nature when it comes under threat."
The web series are available on Viu app, the video on demand service of Vuclip.