Esha Gupta reportedly walked out of Humshakals after a clash with Sajid Khan. A look at the incident, industry dynamics, and her quiet show of strength.
Introduction
Bollywood can be considered as a world of sparkler and flashlights and happy beautiful faces but on the other side, it has very tense moments, dagger throwing and even shouting scenes. An example of these cases is the one aired in the recent past between Easha Gupta and the movie director Sajid Khan as they shot the 2014 film, Humshakals. According to various reports even a verbal fight apparently and the two also exchanged words and this compelled Esha to walk off in anger, and she also refused to shoot.
Although the case might be long forgotten on the pages of a tabloid newspaper, it is talked about again, but this time with a more subtle approach. Individuals are reliving the episode not only as star tweef, but also as a situation of power play, artistic conflict, as well as emotional cost that actors occasionally experience in the background.
Well, let us look a little bit deeper into what exactly happened, what this happens to indicate about the rest of film industry culture, and how in many ways the manner of response by Esha Gupta speaks volumes more about the strength and dignity of this young woman than can ever be said in a PR statement.
The Incident: What had apparently occurred in the set of Humshakals
As per reports circulating in the film fraternity, the differences between Esha Gupta and Sajid Khan started mounting when the actress had their share of comedic scenes which were common sessions in the film under all artistic considerations of the film production. Multi-starrer slapstick comedy film Humshakals was a disorderly production and its ensemble cast had Saif Ali Khan, Riteish Deshmukh, Bipasha Basu, Tamannaah Bhatia and Ram Kapoor among other top actors.
What led to the issue is the result of reports that project Sajid, a highly authoritative and boisterous director spoilt Esha with unprofessional and denunciative remarks. In one instance, a clash of creative minds seemingly got out of hand with allegations that Sajid raised his voice to the point of shouting at Esha in front of the whole filming crew. The banter, according to insiders, left everybody in the set uneasy.
Esha by no means can be tolerant of disrespect and as such it is said that Esha confronted Sajid by asking him to speak to her in a respectful manner. When it failed to calm down, she stormed off the set obviously visibly upset.
Although both did not make a formal statement, the news went around the film industry and columnist gossip columns.
The stand of Esha Gupta: A silent Strength moment
The confrontation, in turn, was not what made this incident remarkable; it was how Esha opted to deal with it.
As opposed to most of her peers in the same industry who may keep quiet or water down the unpleasant experience, Esha was reportedly not to be messed with, and that she made no creative position worth being mistreated.
“This is what one crew member, who was eyewitness to the incident said, “she was not dramatic but rather dignified.” She said So and went. No hollering, no cursing people. Not very loud strength.”
This reserved power has since become a feature of Esha. In other spheres, she has spoken up as well, rights against industry prejudices, body shaming, and even sexism, so it does not shock her fans that she could not accept to humiliate herself on a movie set as well.
The Bigger Picture: Power Games of Bollywood
Such incidents blow the lid on an area that Bollywood normally does not openly discuss; the relationship between power of directors and actors, and above all actresses.
Male film directors whose main characteristics are so-called assertiveness can be generously acclaimed in the filming industry as a visionaries, whereas actresses, especially females who raise their voices, can be characterized as a pain to work with. This old boys club is just a classic double standard that has been silencing people since ages.
In the case of Esha, she was a young artist who was yet cutting her niche in Bollywood when this took place. It would have taken not time to dismiss the comfort level and have a scene shot and be on with it. But she rose her self-esteem higher than the opportunity to watch the TV without being ashamed of her decision.
Esha, in a later interview, had famously said, yet not in the context of Humshakals, that, respect on set was not a luxury, but a right. It is possible to be professional and desire to be treated with dignity.
Sajid Khan: The Controversial Guy
Sajid Khan is not new to a scandal. His sense of humor and his abrasiveness have become synonymous to him over the years. Although his movies such as the Heyy Babyy, Housefull, and Humshakals were up to the box office standards, his off-camera behaviour has sometimes left people with raised eyebrows.
Sajid had been under the wing-fire of much more grievous charges in the recent years, when several women of the fraternity came with allegations of his sexual misconduct and harassment at the workplace towards them, during the MeToo movement. These accusations saw him quit projects and was barred by professional bodies in the course of time.
Although the confrontation with Esha is not in this pool of allegations, what it lends credence to is the fact that many have reported that Sajid has been misusing his power at the helm.
What the Industry (didn’t) Say
Somehow, there were ominous silences in the production and rest of the co-stars following the Esha-Sajid debacle in Humshakals. The tendency of the industry to contain things within the firm, and not make it public, has been long-existing.
But as insiders disclosed later, quite a number of other cast members like Bipasha Basu also felt uneasy during the shooting of the movie. She later reported herself as Bipasha having declined to publicly endorse the movie due to some unpleasant experiences.
We now understand that Esha Gupta was not the only one who felt frustrating at the working place during the shooting- but she was one of the few who had strength to leave a working place in the middle of the filming, it is courage and clarity that require.
Esha Today- Powerful and Transformed
Presently, Esha Gupta is not the same lady. A woman more confident in control than ever, she appears in such web series as Aashram, participates in brand marketing campaigns and enjoys a notably unapologetic presence on social media.
She is a frequent speaker regarding mental well-being, self-care, feminism, and industry changes. The progression of this former model turned actress into the empowered and powerful self-realized artist is quite inspiring.
Esha prefers to remain composed even in cases where past encounters such as the Sajid Khan clash are brought up. This is in her own words:
I do not believe in down pulling people. However, I do pull my boundaries.
Her fans give her a standing ovation
When the event was posted on the internet recently, most of the fans were impressed with the way Esha had managed the situation.
- She might have even resorted to going public in exchange of attention, but instead adopted silence and dignity. Respect!”
- Kudos to women like Esha who cannot afford to be bullied even by silence.
- imagine what it takes to walk out of a big film to take care of your mental health.
In a society where reputation and notoriety is everything, Esha with her silence against it can be considered a course in self-respect.
Conclusion: A lesson in Dignity
The Esha Gupta v/s Sajid Khan tussle on the sets of Humshakals is not merely a passing observation as far as Bollywood dirt is concerned- it is a study on how to deal with confrontation diplomatically. It acts as a reminder that being assertive does not equal to being arrogant, and that sometimes, in order to bring peace instead of chaos, walking away is the best thing to do, even at the expense of screen-time or headlines.
Being on the side of audiences, we can easily regard actors as members of a pretend narrative, yet offstage, they are just common people who endure contradictions, pressure, and decisions in the real life. And this time around, Esha Gupta opted to be dignified. To do that, she needs much more than attention she needs respect.
Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan Out of Jailer 2—Who’s Taking His Place?