Stand-up comedian Bharti Singh and her husband Haarsh Limbachiya’s arrest by NCB came as a shocker for everyone. The couple was arrested from their Mumbai home on November 21 after NCB raided their home and found a sizeable amount of Ganja. As per the online reports, the couple has confessed of consuming the banned substance. Now, one of India’s oldest and biggest comedian Raju Srivastava has come forward to speak about Bharti Singh’s arrest in drug case.
Speaking to Spotboye, Raju Srivastava stated that you can’t cross the line of decency as an artist. Reacting to Bharti’s arrest, Raju mentioned that many young girls look up to Bharti Singh as their role model. He further asks what kind of example she is setting by admitting she smokes Ganja. The entertainment portal quoted him saying, “She is such a simple sweet goodhearted girl, so focused on her work, why does she need drugs to be effective? As a stand-up comedian for 40 years, I have never touched any drugs or alcohol. Addiction to these can destroy the best of careers. Look at Rajesh Khanna, the biggest superstar ever. His career was destroyed in 7-8 years because of alcohol. Then look at the next superstar Amitabh Bachchan, still going great guns at 78. He doesn’t touch a drop of alcohol. The great comic actor Keshto Mukherjee played a drunkard in all his films. He never touched alcohol.”
Adding further Raju Srivastava says, “Rafi Saab, Lataji ….did they ever touch any kind of stimulant to reach the summits that they did? We all need to learn from these greats. Bharati should know young girls look up to her as a role model. What kind of an example is she setting by admitting that she smokes ganja? Let’s hope her career doesn’t go up in smoke.”
Talking about the culture of substance abuse, Raju Srivastava says, “I am shocked at the way artists today cross the laxman rekha. You can’t cross the line of decency. Of course, I’m aware times have changed. Nonetheless, stand-up comedians should not forget where they come from. We are Indians, so please don’t imitate American stand-up comedians.”
