Bollywood Celebs Who Openly Spoke About Substance Abuse

I ndian film industry, Bollywood particularly, has a lot that hides behind all the glitz and glamour that almost each one of us at some point in our lives has craved for. From being a drug house to being a victim of domestic abuse , the grapevine says a lot about the industry, which many of us refuse to believe.

In the constantly changing world of Bollywood, some things remain constant: star power, fan culture, and drug abuse.

People love to believe that behind all the glitz and glamour of showbiz, there is a dark and dreary world of substance abuse waiting to lure everyone. In this day and age however, anyone can access drugs and alcohol if they have the means to afford it.

Here is a list of celebrities who openly discussed their addiction after having quit it to motivate others to do the same.

Pooja Bhatt

One of the most outspoken celebrities about alcohol addiction, Pooja Bhatt drank alcohol for the first time when she was 16. She had her first cigarette at 23. It was a struggle ever since.

Speaking of how alcohol seemed like a good idea for multiple occasions, she had said, “Your film is a hit, you bathe in champagne, it flops, a single malt lessens the pain.” She also said,

“I had to quit now before I drank myself to the grave. I had to reclaim the sharper, brighter me which had got watered down.”

Dharmendra

Dharmendra, had confessed that his drinking problem is what led to the downfall of his career , but now he had quit it in 2011 keeping deteriorating health in mind.

“I don't drink these days. I had destroyed myself as an actor with my drinking habit in the past. I believe in humanity now and have learnt the business of filmmaking.”

Sanjay Dutt

In 1982, the Bollywood actor was arrested for possession of drugs , after which he was sent to the US in the rehab on his father Sunil Dutt’s suggestion.

At one point in time, Sanjay Dutt had become the poster child of bad behavior in Bollywood. He confessed,

“There are no drugs in the world that I have not done. Substance abuse is something that you do if you want to do it. Once you get into it, it's very difficult to leave. It is the worst thing in the world.”

Honey Singh

The grapevine was abuzz with stories right after the monumental hit ‘Lungi Dance’ that rapper Honey Singh has been admitted to rehab. He disappeared for a long period of time, and when he came back he spoke up openly about his situation, he shared,

“This is the first time I am talking about it as I want my fans to know what happened to me. The last 18 months were the darkest phase of my life, and I wasn't in a state to talk to anyone. I must confess that I was bipolar and an alcoholic, which aggravated the condition.”

Prateik Babbar

Prateik Babbar, son of late actress Smita Patil and Raj Babbar, recently opened up about his addiction to drugs. The actor confessed he started doing drugs at the age of 13. Women came and went, but drugs remained with him. However, later rehab helped him come out of this problem. He confessed,

“My first real drug was a disturbed childhood. Constantly faced with internal dilemma, the voices in my head debating where I belong and who I am. drugs came disguised as a glitzy escape. As the years went by, I got acquainted with the narcotic underbelly, which led me to my first run-in with drugs at the age of 13.”

Manisha Koirala

Manisha Koirala was one of the most beloved actresses in the 90s. But, slowly her stardom waned, and stories emerged that it happened because of her alcohol addiction. We got to know all of a sudden that she was battling ovarian cancer a few years ago. While undergoing chemotherapy, she also worked on her alcohol and nicotine addiction, and now she promotes healthy living above anything else.

Fardeen Khan

Bollywood actor Fardeen Khan son of veteran actor Feroz Khan was arrested by the Mumbai police for the drug possession (cocaine) on 5th May 2001. After that Fardeen underwent a detoxification course in same year.

Fardeen Khan was riding high on success in Bollywood when his drug addiction took over him. He was arrested with Cocaine in Juhu area of Mumbai in 2001 and had fought a long legal battle because of that.

Ranbir Kapoor

The 21st generation most loved Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor, hugely popular for his charming romantic and comedy role reported opened up that he smoked up weed during the acting school days. He further added that for the perfection he smokes for his role in ‘Rockstar’.

The actor gained all the attention from the filmmakers as well as audiences. But did you know that alcohol and drugs, he has done it all? He used to smoke pot , and he also used it as a tool to ace his role in Rockstar. He said,

“I used it again during Rockstar. This time as an acting tool. It was hard to get in the moment on stage with 300 bored junior artistes posing as a real audience. Pot made those moments feel real.”

Sussanne Khan

Another shocking name to this abusive list is that of Sussanne Khan, former wife of Hrithik Roshan. Sussanne not only comes from a reputable family but also belongs to a high class professional business interior designer.

Accordingly to reports, Sussanne’s drug addictions habits was said to be one of the main culprit of her divorce with Hrithik.

Aftab Shivdasani

A night club in Pune alleged that they caught the actor doing drugs in the club.

Aftab has since refuted the claim but the night club management said that the actor threatened the club of "pulling political strings" to shut it down.

MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa’s open letter to Bollywood

My OPEN LETTER to Bollywood

Urging all to read & share tagging Bollywood stars through Instagram & Twitter

We have #FanMoments with them; but now is the time for #QuestionMoment @thetribunechd @ANI @htTweets @TimesNow @ABPNews @republic @punjabkesari @News18India @timesofindia pic.twitter.com/vdPxbPdRbc

— Manjinder S Sirsa (@mssirsa) August 2, 2019

Karan Johar's 'Saturday night vibes' video may have looked like party goals to us but it certainly didn't go too well with some people. Recently, MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused the celebs of "flaunting their drugged state." The party saw many big celebrities like Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Ayan Mukherji, Zoya Akhtar, Shah Rukh Khan,and many more.

MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa took to Twitter to call out the actors and directors present at the party for doing drugs and promoting it by putting up videos. In a series of tweets, he even asked them to get a drug test done and share the reports on Twitter to prove him wrong! He then filed an FIR against the Bollywood celebs at the party and also wrote an open letter to Bollywood.

#UDTABollywood - Fiction Vs Reality

Watch how the high and mighty of Bollywood proudly flaunt their drugged state!!

I raise my voice against #DrugAbuse by these stars. RT if you too feel disgusted @shahidkapoor @deepikapadukone @arjunk26 @Varun_dvn @karanjohar @vickykaushal09 pic.twitter.com/aBiRxwgQx9

— Manjinder S Sirsa (@mssirsa) July 30, 2019

With awareness and education , our understanding of drugs is also evolving with time. Once someone goes down that path, it is difficult to come back and get their life back on track. But, with proper rehabilitation and support from friends and family, it is indeed doable.