Actor Sushant Singh has been hosting the television crime show Savdhaan India – India Fights Back for the past seven years. The show features crime stories based on real-life events and reveals how victims fight to seek justice. However, the actor has been removed from the show abruptly, and it is speculated that this is because he participated in a protest against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act.
This comes after an image of Sushant Singh — who can be seen participating in a protest in Mumbai against the CAA and the police crackdown on the Jamia Millia Islamia University campus on Sunday — surfaced online. Later that evening, on Monday, Sushant was informed that he was removed from the show. He tweeted, “And, my stint with Savdhaan India has ended.”
Soon, many followers responded, extending their gratitude to him for speaking up. Incidentally, Sushant had also been vocal during the #MeToo movement.
Sushant says that initially, he was not given any official reason for why he was ousted.
And, my stint with Savdhaan India has ended.
— सुशांत सिंह sushant singh سوشانت سنگھ (@sushant_says) December 16, 2019
“I went for the protest and then in the night, I got the message that this will be my last day of shoot. Maybe it is a coincidence, maybe this was planned. I don't want to speculate,” Sushant said in an interview to PTI.
@sushant_says BTW Sushant Singh was there at the Kalina Protest.
— The Solitary Shrink (@Lakshmi_Sreeni) December 16, 2019
So a few are participating, yet others all are cowards pic.twitter.com/YLZlxo2gNE
He also said that contractually, he has to be served a month’s notice, and to shoot during the period is up to the team. “I don't want to link both these things,” he added.
“I was told there are budgetary constraints. They gave me this (reason) yesterday. I was not aware of the budgetary issues earlier,” Sushant said.
The actor said he did not ask the channel the reason behind removing him from the crime show, and added, “I take things in my stride. Questioning becomes begging."
Sushant also said that he was not afraid of losing work for his activism. “Even if it is, it is a very small price, it is work, it will come and go,” he added.
“If that is the price, I am more than willing to pay for it as it is about the future of my country, about kids. Maybe, I will earn less. It is a flimsy thing to even think about. I am hopeful, thanks to all the students and all those who are supporting it. We are not dead as society and collective consciousness can change things, we have seen that,” he said.
Sushant also said that he had no idea that his participation in the protests will become big news. “I had not done this with that kind of intention. I take stand on issues and I will continue to do that. I don't want to become an issue that will dilute the attention from the main issue,” the actor stressed.
Star India, to which Star Bharat belongs, airs Saavdhan India, and is yet to respond to the news of Sushant's exit.
(With inputs from PTI)