Dramatic Spike In Search For ‘Nepotism In Bollywood’ On Internet Post Sushant Singh Rajput’s Death

New Delhi: ‘Nepotism’ has become the most uttered and searched word from the day Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput died by suicide on June 15. His death has also sparked a nationwide discussion on the subject.

A recent study has revealed that on June 14, the day Sushant died, searches with keywords “nepotism in Bollywood” spiked by almost 2000 percent, reported IANS.

A study by SEMrush tracked shows that in the period May 2019 to June 2020, the word ‘nepotism’ was searched an average of 62,458 times each month.

The study also tracked data on Twitter to understand the impact of Sushant’s suicide on the microblogging site. It found a massive surge in the number of times tweets were added to #NepotismBollywood, #BollywoodBlockedSushant, #JusticeForSushantRajput, and #KaranJoharIsBULLY.

By the end of June 17, the total number of tweets on #NepotismBollywood, #BollywoodBlockedSushant, #JusticeForSushantSinghRajput, and KaranJoharIsBULLY stood at 3,961, 10,520, 36,292, and 10,230 respectively.

In contrast, on June 14, the number of tweets made under each hashtag was just 1, 0, 32, and 0, respectively. The study highlights that many feel the film industry is tilted in favour of insiders, reported IANS.

Speaking about the results of the study Fernando Angulo, Head of Communications, SEMrush told IANS: “Our study should serve as a caution to Bollywood. Many who love its movies secretly aspire to stardom. When these aspiring stars feel they have no chance of realising their hidden ambitions, their enthusiasm for Bollywood”s fare may wane. For Bollywood to be seen in the best possible light, it must not allow for a repeat of what happened to Sushant. It should give outsiders who are talented the same chance as that given to insiders. When the masses see that outsiders with no links to the movie industry are making it big, they will view Bollywood’s productions in a more favourable light. As a result, the receipts earned by the box office will increase.”