Bollywood actor Abhay Deol has recently expressed to the Indian press at an event that most awards which aim to promote the best of Hindi cinema are not legitimate. They are either rigged or an actor attends its ceremony because they are paid to do so. “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.” “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.”
Abhay stated that despite winning immense critical acclaim for Dev D back in 2009, he was not nominated for any award for his skilful performance. “I was promoting Road at an award function 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.”
