Image source: Instagram/@therealemraan
The debates and discussions on nepotism and groupism have been going on for a very long time. After the unfortunate demise of Sushant Singh Rajput earlier this year in June, a lot of actors and filmmakers spoke about the unfair practices meted out against them. Several celebrities have spoken about the issue.
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Emraan Hashmi also opened up on the nepotism debate. Hashmi, who is the cousin of directors Mohit Suri and Pooja Bhatt, called these never-ending discussions around insiders vs outsiders as ridiculous. Speaking to Hindustan Times, he said, "I'm all for equal opportunities, which is only fair. But these conversations seems like nepotism only happens in the film industry, when it's not the case. I'm not going to be apologetic if I'm a part of a film family. And if I want someone to carry my legacy forward, I would want my son to do it. Why would I give it to someone else?"
"Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I'm not going to catch someone by their throat and change their perception. I would support Ayaan if he wants to join this industry. I'd tell him to care two hoots about who says what. And that he might have an entry point but he'll have to work hardest to prove himself, nobody will hold his hand and take him to his destination," he added.
The Murder actor also talked about the controversy surrounding the death of Sushant. He said, "Breaking news is a very lucrative part of 24-hour news culture. Unfortunately, that breaking news has become more tabloid oriented. Celebrities and stories about them have always been a popular pick for that prime time breaking news. It's time pressing issues like the pandemic and the economy are given more coverage. Let authorities do their job in finding a conclusion to Sushant's (Singh Rajput) case. Meanwhile, I hope people stop yelling and blaming each other and we all unite in tackling a more pressing issue which is the pandemic."
Hashmi isn't the only actor who has spoken on nepotism. A few days back, Radhika Madan said, "We outsiders don't have the luxury of choice. When I started out, it wasn't like a line of scripts were lying with me and I could choose the best or zero in on the director or banner to debut with. Tab yeh tha ki jo ho raha hai aur achha lag raha hai, mujhe mil jaye bus. It's not as easy as an outsider. If I start talking about rejections this conversation might go on. I did lose project to a star kid but then my audition also didn't go well. But when you're told you're a good actor but not pretty enough at the age of 20, it shakes your confidence."
Mrunal Thakur explained how she faced the brunt of nepotism. She recalled two events - both at award shows where she was snubbed for being an outsider. "First, it happened to me at an Awards ceremony. I was getting the Critics Best Actress award for my film and after I went on stage, I was told, 'Ma'am, that's the exit!' Whereas at the same ceremony, when a star kid went up, they literally were shoving the mic in her face."
A few days back, actress Urmila Matondkar narrated how nepotism had almost destroyed her career. Talking about it, the Satya actress said, "This word called 'nepotism', if I start talking about it, I will have to talk for quite a few hours. The amount of it that I have faced, in spite of being from Mumbai, was quite alarming, to say the least. There were some 16-17 new girls who were introduced that year and out of them, some eight or nine of them were somebody or the other's daughters. I will tell you a few of them - Raveena Tandon, Karisma Kapoor, Pooja Bhatt, Kajol, lots of them."
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