Welcome to the dazzling industry of Bollywood, where dreams meet reality in a grand explosion of catchy music and extravagant dance scenes. However behind all the viral beats, seemingly superhuman dance moves ,and vibrant sets , lies the very serious issue of “Nepotism”. Simply put, nepotism involves those in power favouring relatives, friends, or associates, particularly by offering them jobs. In Bollywood the debate is that star kids are favored by the directors in the casting process. Today, we'll delve into this issue, offering insights and perspectives on the issue.
So, why exactly is nepotism a problem? Simple, it creates a system where opportunities are given to those with familial connections rather than those who truly deserve them and have the talent to truly make the most of the opportunity. This practice can lead to limited diversity in story telling and casting. Consequently it can breed a stagnant industry with no way of improving ,and therefore not being able to meet expectations. Furthermore, the public will also perceive it as unfair thus damaging the reputation and credibility of the industry ,and leading to less audience engagement.
However, some people may argue that nepotism promotes the growth of bollywood as the new actors will also have know-how of how the industry works ,and make for a smoother transfer of expertise from generation to generation. They also argue that it brings a sense of tradition to the industry.
Star kids have always been deeply intertwined with the Bollywood industry, inheriting cinematic legacies and contributing to the industries culture and story. Some notable names include Alia Bhatt, from the well-renowned Bhatt family, Varun Dhawan, with roots in the Dhawan family, and Ranbir Kapoor from the family which is synonymous with Bollywood: the Kapoor family.
These actors have managed to live well up to the extremely high expectations set by Bollywood fans worldwide, with Alia Bhatt receiving widespread praise by the public for her exceptional acting skills. The public also described Ranbir Kapoor’s acting as lively and some even went to the extent of saying that it truly made the character come to life. Similarly Varun Dhawan has also been acknowledged by the fans to have an extremely engaging screen presence always having the viewers attention.
The career of all star kids, however, was not as smooth sailing as can be seen by the career of Abhishek Bachchan, despite his association with the legendary Bachchan family, his rise to stardom was quite a rocky boat with many ups and downs and countless critiques.
The talk of nepotism has shaken the Bollywood fandom, showing us that behind all that glamour is a dark canvas. Though it is important to dig into exactly why and how nepotism has managed to exist and sustain itself in this colorful industry.
Let’s take a trip all the way back to when India was separated. The word ‘film industry’ lingered in the air and disgusted frowns would slide onto the faces of the locals. Actors were considered low lying losers and so only a few families began to work for Bollywood. Much of the talent stemmed from these families and soon, once Bollywood was no longer a stick in the mud - no new actors were as influential as the already dominating families.
It could be said that Bollywood was built on the foundation that these families laid out, therefore they were destined to control it. One of these families was the ‘Kapoor’ family. Beginning from Prithviraj Kapoor - to the famous filmmaker Raj Kapoor and further the beloved Rishi and Ranbir Kapoor, this family has had a hold for over 3 generations.
The plague that is nepotism has also managed to sustain itself due to the presence of figures like Karan Johar who without shame prefer ‘nepo babies’ to ‘outsiders.’ Karan Johar has been remarked several times, once by Ranveer Singh on Koffee with Karan, on favoring star kids more. Johar is accused of favouring Alia Bhatt - the daughter of Mahesh Bhatt - over others in his films alongside other nepo kids in his casting process. Karan Johar reportedly claimed: ‘I will cast who I feel is right,’ however allegations still continue.
It can also be argued that perhaps it is the media and spectators that have fed on the idea of nepotism. When a nepo baby makes it to the big screen, the media erupts into excited expectations and feeds onto the fame these stars operate on. Essentially, the popularity that most outsiders gain in square nine, is given to these stars at square one. Directors too need their films to get attention and fill the box office, and what’s better than a nepo baby to get that attention? The perfect example of this is the recent movie that is on top when it comes to internet gossip: the movie ‘Archie’s.’ Half the cast is a star kid and despite the rubbish writing and unsubstantial script, it has still managed to gain popularity.
At its core, Nepotism is a pejorative term. It’s what shadows the bright sparkling lehengas in every Indian dance sequence and sprays black over the groovy tunes of catchy Bollywood music.
Perhaps the reason why nepotism is so bad is because it’s unfair to ‘outsiders’ who don’t come from a known family. One of the most well known stars in Bollywood: Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone are labelled as ‘outsiders’ and have themselves stated that they had to work ten times harder to be included within the industry. Ayushmann Khurrana also said that if he had been a star kid he could have debuted at 22 instead of 27.
Kiriti Sanon had mentioned that she’s been rejected for various roles to be replaced by a child that stems from nepotism. Many actors who are outsiders have expressed their stories on unfair treatment due to background.
Bringing too many star kids into the industry creates problems, and some of these problems are for the parents themselves. A recent photo of Suhana Khan in revealing clothes had made the media go bonkers and negative comments flooded the post. People began expressing disappointment on Shah Rukh Khan’s parenting and potentially leading to mixed views about the actor himself.
Jackie Shroff’s son Tiger Shroff got massively trolled for his performance in ‘Heropanti’ with many questioning his sexuality and acting abilities - with some even going to the extent to bash Jackie Shroff on the basis of his son. Similarly, star kids like Ananya Pandey and Khushi Kapoor have been a subject to mockery on their performances.
Conclusively, there is no doubt that nepotism reigns supreme in the Bollywood world. More than 70% of the stars we see on screen are a product of nepotism and are linked to producers, actors, filmmakers or writers etc.
It is important to note that various star kids such as Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kajol, Alia Bhatt and Jhanvi Kapoor have made their place in Bollywood as true talents. The success of these actors is probably why nepotism continues to sustain itself. However, as the industry progresses the acceptance of actors outside the star family tree becomes less likely and the level of talent only withers.
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