On Karan Johar’s talk show in 2017, Kangana Ranaut famously accused the filmmaker of being the “flag bearer of nepotism.” Her words had a big impact, leading to discussions in Bollywood about favoritism towards insiders and star kids.
However, what initially began as a self-reflection soon turned into a trend of criticising star kids and questioning their place in the industry. Emraan Hashmi, who also comes from a film family, recently told indianexpress.com that many people jumped on the “nepotism” bandwagon without fully understanding its nuances.
“People looked it up and it soon became a thing that trended. People jumped on it, gave their own opinions when it probably wasn’t even their own opinion. They cumulatively saw what was out there in the environment and started jumping on it,” he said.
Emraan Hashmi started in the film industry as an assistant director on horror film Raaz starring Dino Morea and Bipasha Basu and then made his Bollywood acting debut with Footpath, a film produced by his uncles Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt. He acknowledges the advantage of being part of a film family but says he doesn’t feel sorry for it. “I have also maintained that I can’t be apologetic about this because this was the hand that was dealt to me,” she said.
Emraan explained that as a former assistant director, he understands how tough it can be for outsiders to break into the film industry. He mentioned that some struggle even to get a meeting with assistant directors, let alone an audition. “It’s not just about struggling to secure auditions; many outsiders don’t even manage to secure a meeting with an assistant director. It’s undeniably tough, but it’s not insurmountable. Shedding light on this issue and voicing concerns is important, but there comes a point where such protests can become a crutch, serving as an excuse.”
He added, “There’s a tendency to attribute missed opportunities to nepotism, assuming that others are favoured solely due to their family connections in the industry. However, this isn’t always the case. There are individuals who have persevered and succeeded despite the odds. Nepotism is a reality that isn’t likely to disappear. People naturally tend to support those from their own circles, looking out for each other — it’s ingrained in our culture. Nevertheless, the film industry is a space where both insiders and outsiders can coexist.”
Emraan Hashmi will be next seen in Disney Plus Hotstar series Showtime.
Comments
0 comment