Ram Gopal Varma has defended the culture of nepotism in the film industry while lashing out at those saying that Sushant Singh Rajput died by suicide because he couldn't withstand the onslaught of nepotism perpetrated by the likes of Karan Johar in Bollywood. The director, in a series of tweets, argued that nepotism is fundamental to any society with a strong family structure.

He gave the example of dynastic politicians and businessmen. "How politicians like Mulayam, Uddhav, etc give sons, relatives first preference., like how Dhirubhai will give all his monies to Mukesh, Anil, Like how all families will give their own families first preference similarly Bollywood families do same ..So where’s nepotism not there? Blaming Karan Johar for what happened is ridiculous and just shows lack of understanding of how film industry works ..Even assuming Karan had a problem with Sushant it’s his choice of who he wants to work with, like it's any filmmakers choice about who they want to work with," RGV tweeted.

RGV suggested that Sushant is to be blamed for his own drastic decision to kill himself. "If Sushant after 12 years of fame and money took his life because he was made to feel like an outsider, then a 100 actors suicides per day will be justified who couldn’t reach anywhere near Sushant. If u can’t be happy with what u have, u will never be happy with whatever u have. Period! No matter how many supposedly conspired to drive Sushant out (For what reason I can’t fathom when he can make money for them), there were umpteen others wanting to work with him. ..But like it was his choice not to do with them,it’s the others choice not to work with him," RGV wrote.

'The audience loved Sushant less':

The 'Lakshmi's NTR' director suggested that when Sushant was alive, the audience loved him less than they love Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh. "And for all the sound being made on social media about the super talented guy being sidelined, the truth is it’s the people who are watching the other actors more than Sushant and Karan Johar couldn’t be holding a gun to the audiences' head. And if Sushant hung on, then in about 15 or 20 years he would have become an insider when he’s launching his own son and some outsider Prashant would have blamed him like how everyone now is blaming Karan Johar," RGV argued.

"Talent is never an absolute but merely a perception based on various factors like different individuals, critics, box office etc and my proof is that two days before none in the social media was crying hoarse why Sushant is not bigger than Ranveer Singh and Ranbir Kapoor," RGV tweeted.

Gets rhetorical on nepotism:

RGV normalized the tendency of stars to launch their star kids instead of others. "Nepotism spoken in a negative context is a joke because entire society is based on only a family loving concept ..Should Shah Rukh Khan launch someone unknown instead of Aryan just because someone is more talented (in whose view is the point?)" he asked.

How politicians like Mulayam,Uddhav etc give sons, relatives first preference ,Like how Dhirubhai will give all his monies to Mukesh ,Anil ,Like how all families will give their own families first preference similarly Bollywood families do same ..So where’s nepotism not there ?

— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) June 16, 2020

Blaming @karanjohar for what happened is ridiculous and just shows lack of understanding of how film industry works ..Even assuming Karan had a problem with Sushant it’s his choice of who he wants to work with,like its any film makers choice about who they want to work with

— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) June 16, 2020

If Sushant after 12 yrs of fame and money took his life becos he was made to feel like an outsider then a 100 actors suicides per day will be justified who couldn’t reach anywhere near Sushant. If u can’t b happy with what u have u will never be happy with whatever u have.Period!

— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) June 16, 2020

No matter how many supposedly conspired to drive Sushant out (For what reason I can’t fathom when he can make money for them ) there were umpteen others wanting to work with him. ..But like it was his choice not to do with them,it’s the others choice not to work with him

— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) June 16, 2020