The spate of new crimes in showbiz involving Meenakshi Thapa and Simran Sood and the twist involving Anuj Tikku have raised
questions over what makes Bollywood wannabes take such extreme steps. In keeping with industry insiders, the urge to become the
next big thing and the greed to make more money compel them to commit such gruesome crimes.
Aspiring model Thapa's murder adds weight to the standards mentioned by showbiz insiders.
Thapa, who was shooting for Madhur Bhandarkar's "Heroine", was brutally murdered by junior artists Amit Jaiswal and Preeti Surin. Thapa is claimed to have told them that she belonged to a rich family. In a bid to earn easy money, Preeti and Amit decided to abduct her and later killed her. Thapa did small roles in films like "404".
"Struggling actors are exploited on a daily basis. It's the pressure of cash. When there is not any hope, such things do happen," filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri told.
"I feel whatever is occurring could be very bad. Individuals who come from small towns do not know how the industry functions. They need to pursue their dreams and mutually they must survive in a city like Mumbai. After doing one or two films, after they don't get work they usually can't even return home they're compelled to do such things," he added.
Aspiring model-actress Simran Sud was accused of kidnapping filmmaker Karan Kakkad. Sud, in conjunction with former associates of gangster Santosh Shetty, allegedly abducted Kakkad last month and killed him.
Actor Anuj Tikku, who was seen in small roles in films like "Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi" and "Rann", was initially accused of killing his father Arunkumar Tikku.
According to the police, Anuj is mentally disturbed and was receiving treatment at a hospital in Jaipur for the past four-five years and his father disapproved of him staying alone. The daddy was even said to be against his wild parties' lifestyle.
It later emerged that mobster Vijay Palande was the elder Tikku's killer and zeroed in on him after the son boasted he had
enormous properties in Delhi, Gurgaon and Mumbai.
"Nobody comes here to make money, everybody desires to be famous. Pressure of cash comes once the question of survival comes. After doing one film they must match the way of life of the others. They need to buy a car, have a driver, go partying, wear nice clothes and plenty of get stuck on this pressure," said Agnihotri.
Director Sujoy Ghosh says it can be crucial for such people to not be aggressive with their passion.
"One must get practical and never aggressive with their passion. You should be practical about life while you realize nothing is happening; it's a must to move on," said Ghosh.
"I believe there's a lot of pressure with whatever dreams they're willing to pursue. I ACTUALLY have undergone this a while back. All of it depends upon how maturely you handle the location. But it surely is truly sad once we hear some horrifying stories. I DO NOT know what is the solution for this. This can be a lesson to be learnt," he added.
Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt says he feels sad when youngsters choose the incorrect route to fulfil their dreams.
"Strugglers are of their dream space. They arrive here with a number of dream and now and then they choose the inaccurate path that is heartbreaking. It's not easy to become somebody. I strongly believe these strugglers are searhing for fame which ends up in money. After all, money comes with fame," he said.
According to actor Anoop Soni, who hosts "Crime Patrol", a show that picks up crime cases and brings them to the viewers by
reconstructing the crime scene with actors, feels greed and jealousy make people commit such gruesome crimes.
"The major reason for first-time criminals committing such gruesome crimes could be very basic - the sensation of frustration, greed and jealously. When for some the sensation that 'why don't I'VE what you have' overshadows and that's the point when these gruesome crimes take place," said Soni.
Another case from showbiz which created headlines was that of Maria Susairaj, who together with her fiance was accused of killing TV producer Neeraj Grover but spent only three years in prison. Actress Monica Bedi is solely now managing to renew her career after coming into legal trouble after her linkup with gangster Abu Salem.
And there has been the case of actress Priya Rajvansh, the live-in partner of director Chetan Anand, who was murdered by his sons in 2000 because they feared she was eyeing their father's property in Mumbai.
