Either the awards are rigged or actors are paid for the presence: Abhay Deol

At the 43rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Abhay Deol was a part of an interactive session. The actor had a lot to say about awards system in Bollywood.

According to Abhay, the award system in India is not clean. Either the awards are rigged or actors are paid for the presence and so they attend the function. “Talk to any actor off record and he will tell you, you either go because you are winning an award or you go because you are getting paid. Otherwise, you don’t go,” Abhay told.

Speaking candidly during the interactive session, Abhay further added, “In that case, pay me and I’ll perform. If you tell me you are awarding talent, then no. It is just an exercise in appeasing those you have worked with or appeasing those you want to work with.”

Recalling an incident way back in 2009, his film Dev D had made waves all around the nation. Abhay’s performance was electrifying and well-appreciated. However, leave alone an award, the actor was not even nominated for one.

“I was promoting ‘Road, Movie’ at the time the Filmfare Awards were happening, and no one wanted to talk to me about ‘Road…’. The entire press wanted to know why I wasn’t selected for an award. And I said, ‘It was a family fare. If you are part of the family, then you will get it.’ And I stick by that,” Abhay told.

“The validation that I might be doing something right is the fact that I didn’t get the award,” he mocked.