Opening Doorz

By Moody Marty | Opening Doorz Editorial | February 11, 2026

Moody Marty dissects the industry's selective memory and asks the hard question: Is this true solidarity, or just clever optics?

Bollywood’s Phir Hera Pheri

Ah, Bollywood. The place where family is a term used exclusively when someone is already in the headlines, and solidarity usually lasts as long as a trending hashtag.

It’s heart-warming, isn’t it? Rajpal Yadav, the man who made us laugh until our sides ached in Phir Hera Pheri, found himself in a bit of a Hera Pheri of his own. We’re talking about a ₹9 crore cheque-bounce saga stemming from his 2010 directorial debut, Ata Pata Laapata. After a decade of legal gymnastics, the Delhi High Court finally blew the whistle, and Rajpal had to surrender at Tihar Jail on February 5, 2026.

For a few days, silence. Then Sonu Sood, the Messiah, the only one from Bollywood who stood out during the pandemic, jumped to Yadav’s rescue. He offered him a film and a dignified signing amount. It was help wrapped in dignity. But that is Sonu Sood, a man with a heart of gold.

Then came the deluge: Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn, Varun Dhawan and even music producers like Rao Inderjeet Singh pledging ₹1.11 crore. It’s a beautiful, star-studded rescue mission. Bollywood should stand by its own. That is what a family does. This is what the Bollywood of old did.

But wait… my cynical little heart feels a twitch of déjà vu.

The Selective ‘Family’ Discount

Where was this collective rock-solid support when Vivek Oberoi was being professionally ghosted? Back in 2003, Vivek did the unthinkable: he held a press conference. He called out a superstar, and in response, the industry didn’t just throw him under the bus; they drove the bus over him, reversed, and did it again for good measure. No signing amounts were offered then. Just a cold, echoing silence and a career that went from ‘Next Big Thing’ to ‘Where Is He Now?’ faster than one could say Company. To borrow a phrase from the Emergency: “When asked to bend, they crawled!

That his mother, Yashodhara Oberoi, made him see the light in the dark tunnel and he ferreted himself out of the ugly, depressing hell-hole to a brighter dawn, is the story of his own rise from the proverbial ashes. One day, I am sure Vivek Oberoi will write a book: From Pit to the Palace! Just like Joseph, in Genesis (Chapters 37 to 50).

And he’s not the only one who found the Bollywood Family dinner table suspiciously empty:

Sushant Singh Rajput: The poster boy for how the industry’s inner circle can feel more like a barbed-wire fence. The outpouring of love only happened when it was too late.

Abhay Deol: The man who dared to be different and was promptly demoted to supporting actor status in his own films by award lobbies. He didn’t get a rescue mission; he got a “you’re too difficult to work with” label.

Govinda: The King of the 90s. Once his hits dried up, the same industry that had lived off his pelvic thrusts suddenly couldn’t find his phone number (mind you, he had six mobile phones at the time). Shatrughan Sinha himself noted how the industry shunned an institution.

Rajat Bedi: Remember the guy from Koi… Mil Gaya? He recently opened up about feeling used and abused before being sidelined from promotions and left to fend for himself. Ba***ds of Bollywood got him back into the limelight.

It’s fascinating. If you owe money to a bank because a movie flopped, you’re a gifted artist in need of dignity. But if you bruise the ego of the wrong person or refuse to play the sycophancy game, you’re an outcast.

Don’t get me wrong, Rajpal Yadav is a legend. I personally love the guy and his performances. He meant no harm to anyone. Just a wrong business move. This can happen to anyone. He deserves to be on screen, not in a cell.

Bollywood Has No Spine

But let’s not pretend that this sudden burst of charity is about humanity. It’s not. It’s about optics. It’s easy to help a man who’s down on his luck due to a bad loan; it’s much harder to help a man who’s down on his luck because the Big Brothers of the industry decided he shouldn’t be lucky anymore.

Bollywood’s heart is huge. Nonetheless, it has a very specific guest list. Moreover, Bollywood has no spine. Like I mentioned earlier, “When asked to bend, Bollywood crawled!

Coming back to Vivek Oberoi, the actor has gone on record on how he found solace in the embrace of his family. His mother, Yashodhara, emerged as his pillar of strength. Sensing her son’s turmoil, she offered counsel that redefined his path. She urged him to shift his focus from seeking validation on the silver screen to making a tangible difference in the lives of others. “Be a hero to someone in need,” she advised, “and you will find a purpose far greater than any cinematic accolade.”

Dear Vivek, I am sure you will be a human (not a hero) to Rajpal Yadav. He needs your largesse. You know what it is to be down and out. There was no one for you. The ground literally opened up and swallowed you.

Become the ground beneath Yadav. He has fallen on hard times. He is a good man.

[Moody Marty: Sometimes funny, sometimes informative, always downright forthright!]

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