Does nepotism really work in Bollywood ?

Actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death gave rise to many debates and issues in Bollywood, including Kangana Ranaut’s much publicised and touted “Nepotism”. The actress discreetly used Sushant’s death to say that nepotism can affect the mental health of people and even lead to suicides, citing Sushant’s case.

I remember watching an interview on Nepotism by Manoj Bajpayi. One of the finest actors in Bollywood, Bajpayi has shone in movies like Satya, Gangs of Wasseypur, Special 26 and many more amongst others, where he was not cast as a conventional bollywood lead. He insisted that nepotism exists everywhere, whatever the business it is. He said that nepotism does exist in Bollywood and outsiders may get lesser chances, but in the end, it is only the real talent and hard work that survives. Bajpayi hardly made a mark as a mainstream lead in his era, yet his strong roles always made him stand out, irrespective of the fact that he did not belong to any Filmy family and did not have any mentors here.

That really brings us to the point that DOES NEPOTISM REALLY WORK IN BOLLYWOOD ?

As a hardcore bollywood fan and a self proclaimed encyclopedia filmonica, who loves movies from 1950s to 2020, I can easily say NO. Nepotism may help you get an entry into Bollywood, grab some plum assignments and roles, but it can surely not guarantee your success in this industry, where everyday thousands of people of all ages come with dreams of becoming actors.

Here are some examples to correlate to this fact. Some actors who entered Bollywood with their ‘family’ sources but yet, did not survive a long run.

1. Parikshit Sahni :

Son of legendary actor Balraj Sahni, Parikshit nee Ajay Sahni had everything in his favour. Names like Balraj Sahni and writer Bhisham Sahni (his uncle) at his back, a degree in Film direction from Moscow Film Institute and some pivotal roles in films like Pavitra Paapi. Yet no one remembers him as a lead actor and he found success only in character roles.

2. Suneil Anand :

I can bet a lot of 90s kids would not have even heard this name. Son of the evergreen actor, director and producer Dev Anand, Suneil Anand too had an illustrious surname to back him, father Dev Anand and uncles like directors Chetan Anand and Vijay Anand. A launch vehicle like ‘Anand aur Anand’, which had some amazing songs by RD Burman and also Dev Anand acting as his father, did not help Suneil survive in the industry and taste success. Uncle Vijay Anand too directed a movie for him, Car Thief, but that did not help his career.

3. Kumar Gaurav :

Everyone loved this chocolate boy who made the nation swoon in ‘Love Story’. Son of a legendary actor and one of the biggest stars in Bollywood Rajendra Kumar, Kumar Gaurav’s first film was a super duper hit and immediately established him as a star. He went on to do some more films like Teri Kasam, Janam (for which he was nominated for best actor) and Naam. But he wasn’t as successful as his father and was last seen in Kaante in 2002 after a long hiatus.

4. Pratibha Sinha Lohani :

The 90’s generation will surely remember her dancing to “Pardesi Pardesi jaana nahin” in Aamir Khan starrer Raja Hindustani. But this doe eyed beauty, who is the daughter of popular yesteryears actor Mala Sinha, actually debuted as a heroine in Kal Ki Awaaz (1992). She went on to do some forgettable roles before settling for matrimony.

5. Rajiv Kapoor :

With a father like legendary Raj Kapoor and debut hits like Ram Teri Ganga Maili and Ek Jaan hain Hum, Rajiv Kapoor had everything in his favour. He did work in a few more films, but nothing could make him come close to the success of his father or his elder brothers, Rishi Kapoor and Randhir Kapoor. He even tried his hands at directing with Prem Granth, but did not make much waves there too.

These are just a few examples of star kids who failed to make it big in Bollywood. From the 70s to 2000s, every era will have its own list of star kids who despite everything did not make it. And each era will also have names who were outsiders, did not have famous surnames or camps backing them, and yet made a mark in this industry. Nepotism continues to be a debatable topic, but certainly not the ruling topic in Bollywood.

Image Source : Wikipedia