Narayani Shastri makes shocking claims about drug culture in TV industry: ‘Cocaine and MDMA is common’

Actor Narayani Shastri has made startling revelations about the industry, claiming that drug use is more common than many realise. Without naming anyone, she claimed that substance consumption is often treated as the norm in entertainment circles and said she has witnessed it firsthand. Narayani also admitted that she had experimented with drugs in the past.

She claimed that unlike in the past, when parties in the entertainment industry had a fixed budget for alcohol, they now set aside a budget for illegal drugs.

She said, “Earlier, there would be a budget for alcohol at parties. Now there’s a budget for drugs. I was shocked when I saw this. That’s why I stopped partying many years ago, because now the parties are not about dancing; they are something else completely… I don’t know these people personally who do drugs but I have seen people doing stuff,” she said.

She was also asked what kind of drugs are done at these parties, following which she revealed “cocaine and MDMA. is common.”

The actor said that drug use at large parties is kept discreet, while at smaller, more intimate gatherings, “everyone knows that everyone does stuff.” However, at bigger parties, such activities are not carried out openly.

Narayani also confessed that she too has experimented with illegal drugs, saying, “I have done everything in my life but I have done it as an experiment, to see what happens when you do something”. She clarified that she never developed an addiction because she tried the drugs only once. The actor also revealed that she had alcohol just once so she would know how it feels in case someone ever spiked her drink.

During the chat, Narayani was asked if actors consume illegal drugs on sets. She said that this would happen “all the time”, adding that there have been times when “shoots have been cancelled because the actor is not in a condition to shoot”. In fact, she recalled the time when she had to wait for 4 hours for the shoot to start, but the actor “was not in a condition to even stand up”. The actor added that producers are often left in a difficult position, as replacing an actor could jeopardise both the show and the character’s image. As a result, they often have no choice but to reach out to the actor’s family for support to ensure the shoot stays on track.