12 Bollywood Stars Who Had Openly Spoken On Nepotism And Revealed How It Effected Them

Nepotism exists in almost all professions and industries. And with recent tragedy of Sushant Singh Rajput Bollywood has been quite in conversation around nepotism. This is not the first time N-word is so much in the news.

While many star kids like Ananya Panday, Janhvi Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan got their easy launchpads there are people like Tanishaa Mukerji, Uday Chopra, Sikander Kher among others for whom the industry relationship did’nt worked out.

Here we have listed 12 such Bollywood celebrities who had their sayings on nepotism:

1. Ayushmann Khurrana would have made his debut at the age of 22 if nepotism didn’t exist

Have you ever known someone who is great at so many things that it just gets you shocked every time you see them doing something new. Ayushmann Khurrana is one of them, he just flabbergasts us completely to see how many things he can do, and do them all, effortlessly. Ayushmann told Huffpost in an interview,

“My debut, Vicky Donor, was when I was 27. If I was a star kid, it would’ve been 22. I don’t think the difference of five years would’ve affected much. I think I was a much more mature actor at 27.”

2. Emraan Hashmi admitted that if nepotism wasn’t there, he would not be an actor

Emraan Hashmi had accepted that he is a product of nepotism. Emraan was launched by his uncle Mahesh Bhatt with movie Footpath in 2003. In an interview with Hindustan Times the actor said,

“Yes, nepotism exists in our industry, and I got a break because of it. If my uncle (Mahesh Bhatt), who is a producer and director hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have been an actor.”

3. Kriti Sanon revealed that she was once replaced by a star kid

Kriti Sanon made her debut in the 2014 film Heropanti said in an interview with Pinkvilla,

“If I had been from a film family, I would not have to reach out (to directors). They would already know me, and I would have interacted with them somewhere.”

On being asked if she ever been replaced by a starkid in a film, Kriti responds,

“I don’t know if they dialled the phone or not, but someone who was from a film family, or there was a little more buzz about that person, had replaced me. So yes, it’s happened but I don’t know the reason behind it. The director might have genuinely wanred that person. It has happened a few times.”

4. Ranbir Kapoor accepts that nepotism exists and he is a beneficiary

In a AIB podcast with Ranbir Kapoor he accepted that that nepotism exists. The actor went on to say,

“I am a ‘disarming’ product of it. Of course it exists. My great-grandfather worked hard so that he could give his children the opportunity to do something in life. So on and so forth and it came to me. When I have children, I would like them to have that opportunity and then see how good they are.”

5. Rajkummar Rao said that due to nepotism he has to see non-talented people in movies

Rajkummar Rao is one of the most versatile actor in the industry. He told PTI,

“Favouritism is there of course, it is present everywhere, so it is fine. But my only concern is when because of favouritism I have to see non-talented people in films. That is a problem for me.”

The actor went on to add,

“I want to see talent on screen. I don’t care where they come from or which family they belong to. There are actors like Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, they are such talented people working in the film industry”

6. Surveen Chawla was replaced by a star kid who had better contacts

Surveen Chawla whome we saw in Hate Story 2 and Netflix’s Sacred Games, had once told Hindustan Times,

“I was not scared even though I had left TV at the peak of my career. But in the middle of this transition, when I was stepping up, I was thrown back down. For what reason? The question is not of my talent, but about somebody who had better contacts; that’s it. It took me sometime to come out of it, but then other things happened, and it instilled confidence back in me.”

7. Star kids face lesser difficulties in comparison to self-made actors said Siddhant Chaturvedi

Siddhant Chaturvedi who became famous with his role of MC Sher in Gully Boy replied to Ananya Panday on nepotism in a roundtable interview which became a viral sensation. The actor said,

“Jahaan humaare sapne poore hote hai, waha inke struggle shuru hote hai”

8. Taapsee Pannu lost movies for not having Bollywood connections

Everyone loves Taapsee for her acting, strength and feminist attitude. the beautiful actress who made a bold statement on patriarchy and feminism with her very first major movie Pink told PTI,

“It is not a shocker to me that a film went out of my hands, not because I was not credible, but because I was not so-and-so’s daughter or sister or dating so-and-so. I used the same hand to pat my back and to pick me up when I get shattered after losing out on a film due to reasons except your credibility to that role.”

After being dropped from Pati, Patni Aur Woh remake without being given a reason, Taapsee told Mumbai Mirror,

“I assumed I was the first choice since the director had narrated the script to me first. After moving my dates around, it would’ve been better had they told me first, instead of finding it out from others. This is disheartening. I deserve an answer.”

9. Alia Bhatt accepted that the concept of nepotism operates in Bollywood

Alia has opened about nepotism in industry and on how the concept operates in Bollywood. She said at an event as quoted by PTI,

“I wanted to be here (in films), this was my dream. My connection to the family has made things easy for me. Nepotism exists. It exists in Bollywood, the business world and during admissions in schools as well.”

In an another interview with Indian Express Alia said,

“I have realised that there is no need to defend the nepotistic nature of the industry because it does exist. The reason why it has become an emotional debate is because those who don’t get a chance, it is difficult for them. If I was on the other side, I would be heartbroken. I may have felt the same way.”

10. Kangana Ranaut has always been vocal about the nepotism in Bollywood

Kangana Ranaut quoted Karan Johar as “flag bearer of nepotism” on his own show Koffee with Karan. Kangana has always been loud and clear about her point of view and speaks fearlessly. On a chat show with Anupam Kher Kangana said,

“Do these Bollywood kids know that it takes almost 10 years to build an audience and to get a critic. These star kids already start from a point where they have everything and they are not aware of the fact that for an outsider, it can take his entire lifetime to reach the starting point.”

11. Ananya Panday accepts star kids get the privilege

Chunky Panday’s daughter Ananya Panday who made her debut with Student Of The Year 2 (SOTY 2) peaks up in an interview with Rediff,

“I am always aware of my privilege; I have never said I wasn’t. I was lucky enough to get a chance to meet Karan Johar; most people don’t. Also, it’s easy to get your first film. Sustaining is a tough path.”

12. Swara Bhasker said Bollywood industry is based on relationships

Swara Bhasker once told PTI,

“Bollywood as an industry is based on relationships, it has always been star-driven and it has an element of feudalism. So, it would be difficult for an outsider but my experience of Bollywood is not nepotistic at all.”