The country’s biggest filmmaking industry — Tollywood — has always been renowned for its disciplined, conservative stars with a strong connect to the masses. Now, whether it is the blind aping of Bollywood or exposure to ‘international’ lifestyles, the new breed of Telugu stars are experimenting with social narcotics.
A far cry from the grounded stalwarts, Venkatesh, Chiranjeevi or Balakrishna, the young ‘uns are doing it for pleasure or peer pressure. Actress Shraddha Das, a self-confessed party animal believes a number of situations that are the occupational hazards of any celebrity could trigger substance abuse, “In the film industry, personal relationships are weak and often there is no one to confide in. Star kids tend to not be insecure, but those, for whom a flop can cost their career, the stress never lets up and they are susceptible to drug abuse. Some of them have told me it gives them a ‘high’, the energy to go on. But it is loneliness that draws them to drugs.”
Another young actress on condition of anonymity seconds Shraddha, “It’s most prevalent at house parties. Actresses whose careers have collapsed with no chance of revival choose cocaine as an escape. I’ve been offered drugs and refused. It’s also really easily available in city pubs and I freak out at the code language.”
“Not many have longevity in the industry; that is a reality. For a few, when they their career has hit an all-time low, they lose their mental balance and get depressed. But there are better ways to handle stress,” says actress Sanjana.
Young actors and some actresses counter that the casual drug culture is a norm in high profile circles but they get singled out because they are celebrities. But sources say that Tollywood is now rife with stories like that of a young actor, pursuing engineering who is allegedly a serious addict. Or an A-league Tollywood star who hasn’t done a film in a long time who is on drugs, misguidedly, to ‘maintain his cute and charming’ looks.
Director Sreedhar Reddy who has seen these young actors up close knows that they’ve fallen prey to the ‘image’ demon — believing that experimentation with drugs, hard partying are all the cool trappings of celebrity-hood. “These are the few young actors who have just found stardom. There is an urge to ape Mumbai celebrities and it is ‘cool’ for them. They’re not pressured, they just want to try something new and they get hooked.”
And the grapevine buzzes with rumours that at least three big stars are now undergoing rehabilitation treatment to get out of the habit. Actor turned politician Jayasudha says there is no pressure at all on the stars and it’s just hedonism that draws them towards it, “In our days, even having alcohol was considered a taboo. Pressure remains the same, then and now. I remember a few stars taking drugs in those days but they were very secretive about it. This younger lot isn’t very bothered about consequences. It is for sheer pleasure that they are getting into drugs now.”