Sound designer and audio mixer Resul Pookutty, who won the Oscar for Slumdog Millionaire, recently talked about how he was denied work by the Hindi film industry.
His response came on the heels of another Oscar winner, composer A.R. Rahman’s confession on how the industry denied him work due to ‘rumors’.
You know what your problem is @arrahman ? You went and got #Oscars . An Oscar is the kiss of death in Bollywood. It proves you have more talent than Bollywood can handle .. pic.twitter.com/V148vJccss
— Shekhar Kapur (@shekharkapur) July 26, 2020
Resul took to Twitter to talk about how he nearly had a breakdown because he wasn’t being given work in the Hindi film industry, and certain production houses blatantly refused to work with him.
Dear @shekharkapur ask me about it, I had gone through near breakdown as nobody was giving me work in Hindi films and regional cinema held me tight after I won the Oscar… There were production houses told me at my face ”we don’t need you” but still I love my industry,for it…. https://t.co/j5CMNWDqqr
— resul pookutty (@resulp) July 26, 2020
He added that though he had the chance to move to Hollywood, he did not take it up because it was his work in India that won him multiple awards and nominations, including the Oscar. He also clarified that he did not blame the industry or anyone from the industry, for not giving him work.
All my post r not seen in my timeline, posting it here again so that it’s not wrongly interpreted.Oscar curse is over, We moved on.I’m also not liking the direction in which the whole nepotism discussion is going. So peace! I’m not blaming anybody fr nt taking me in their films🙏 pic.twitter.com/ldpzSNUlsP
— resul pookutty (@resulp) July 27, 2020
Nope! They(I mean the industry) gave me the power to think free and experiment what I wanted to do! It made me, so I can’t mike at it, it’s my bread and butter!
— resul pookutty (@resulp) July 27, 2020
Many people commented on his confession:
Not even in remote possibility, I’ve never thought Oscar would be a curse for an artist.
— Tejaswini (@tejaswinih) July 27, 2020
World reacts strangely to the success.
Power to you master. 💐🗽
— Meher Wan (@wanmeher) July 27, 2020
Don’t worry sir south indian cinema always welcomes you and rahman sir …❤️❤️
— Vinoth (@Dhoni05531106) July 27, 2020
This hopeless Bollywood can only acknowledge people who wish to buy that worthless & saleable filmfare trophy. The year 2020 has unveiled so many darker sides of this fallacious industry. Sensible people should boycott their inferior class movies.
— Sattvikaa🌾 (@Natkhat_Bitiyaa) July 26, 2020
Two oscar winners being treated like this. No surprise Bollywood is considered a unrealistic joke in every other part of the world other than the hindi speaking bubble.
— Adarsh (@adarsh_mg) July 26, 2020
Its not about industry or about being from a particular region, instead the very particular lobby existing in disguise of Bollywood.
— Dhananjay Shenoi | धनंजय शेनॉय 🇮🇳 🚩 (@im_shenoi) July 27, 2020
Resul etta we are proud of your achievement ❤️❤️
No matter who rejects you are always in our Hearts 🙏🏻
This is terrible. And is happening to an Oscar winner. Sigh
— Smita Deshmukh (@smitadeshmukh) July 27, 2020
And sir, I was wondering why @arrahman sir, you and others like #sonunigma sir, @Shankar_Live sir are not working more in Hindi films now. It’s so much evindet now. Much love sir, hopefully this cartel would be broken ❤️🙏
— Mrityunjay Tiwari (@mrityunjayt) July 27, 2020
Pookutty, who is all set to direct his first film, is the latest artist to speak up against the film industry for illogically denying work to deserving people.
