Bollywood kicks up a debate on ‘nepotism’

By Kiran Galani

Ever since Kangana Ranaut called Karan Johar “the flag bearer of nepotism” on his show, ‘Koffee with Karan’, nepotism seems to have become the central focus of the B-Town buzz. With several personalities taking polarising stances on the issue and the media pumping out articles about it, what should have been an insignificant incident has gradually escalated into a full-blown debate.

The roots of the debate

Nepotism is defined as “the practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.”

In terms of Bollywood, this would refer to the tendency to favour the children of film clans for roles in new films. Take the example of Ranbir Kapoor. His great-grandfather was the first in the ‘Kapoor Clan’ to enter Bollywood. From there, the rest of his family spread their roots in the industry and opened doors for future members.

This recently became a point of contention after the Kangana–Karan spat, causing several celebrities to speak out about it. And while Karan Johar himself initially lashed out at Kangana, he later wrote a blog post explaining how he did engage in nepotism to some extent, but that it was not necessarily a bad thing.

What followed in the chain of events was the ‘Nepotism Rocks’ dialogue initiated by Karan Johar, Varun Dhawan and Saif Ali Khan at the IIFA Awards 2017. They received a lot of criticism for the incident. However, if their words were critical towards anyone, it was themselves. They poked fun at their own circumstances, talking about how they may never have gotten the chance to be there if it were not for their parents’ influence. While some may argue that this underlined the very heartbeat of nepotism, it would only be wrong if they were not talented enough to reach this point. But all three artists have proved time and again, over several projects, that they do deserve their spot in the industry.

Connections do not guarantee success

As several celebrities like Ranbir Kapoor, Karan Johar, Aamir Khan and Swara Bhaskar suggest, nepotism is unavoidable in an industry like Bollywood where connections are integral to success. Having connections and creating a network is important in nearly every professional field. But this alone does not make or break a star.

Karan Johar says in his blog post: “Did I cast Ranbir Kapoor because he’s Rishi Kapoor’s son? Of course not. I cast him because he’s staggeringly talented (by every measure and metric that exists) and he fit the part perfectly.” This rings true for nearly every accusation of nepotism. Yes, it may be easier for the child of a famed star to get a break in the industry, but after that, they are on their own. If their performance in their debut film is not up to the mark, they will not get film offers in the future.

There are several such star kids who got a great opportunity to enter the industry but failed to make it big, including Dev Anand’s son Suneil Anand, and Hema Malini and Dharmendra’s daughter Esha Deol. Every filmmaker wants the success of the film, and they are not going to cast someone who is not right for the role just because their parents were successful.

Nepotism or ‘family business’?

The flip side is the practice of nepotism by members of the same family. Actor Varun Dhawan, who has starred in movies directed by both his father David Dhawan and his brother Rohit Dhawan, had an interesting comment to make: “If my father won’t do this for me then who will?”.

This perspective on nepotism has its strengths and weaknesses. Take for example the idea of a ‘family business’. Businesses are often passed down from parent to child, and there has hardly been any objection towards the system. Everyone knows the story of Dhirubhai Ambani, who made it from rags to riches because of his perseverance and hard work. His sons, Anil and Mukesh Ambani, inherited the business and had their future secured the moment they were born. A similar principle applies to Bollywood.

Nepotism: Not a Bollywood villain?

The negative connotations of nepotism might ring true if outsiders were not given a chance to enter Bollywood at all. But this is not true either. Several actors like Deepika Padukone, Sidharth Malhotra, Ranveer Singh and Kangana Ranaut herself, have shone in the industry without family connections. Simultaneously, several actors with connections have not had a successful film career because they lack the requisite skills. 

While the debate on nepotism is vast and never ending, it does not seem to be the dangerous phenomenon that it is often made out to be. Most people would want to help their family achieve their dreams, and what has been termed as “nepotism in Bollywood” is just a reflection of this aspect of human nature. Nevertheless, nothing could go wrong with increasing new talent in the industry—a goal that Bollywood could certainly work towards.

Featured Image Source: Flickr