Amid nepotism talk in B-Town, Shashi Kapoor’s grandson Zahan on how famous surname didn’t ensure success for many in family
Zahan Kapoor
Last week, Zahan Kapoor made his Bollywood debut with Hansal Mehta’s Faraaz, becoming the newest Kapoor on the block. While the actor has come under the spotlight only in the past week, he says that a decade of hard work has preceded his debut film. “I have spent 10 years behind the camera [learning about filmmaking]. I have gone through periods of limbo, and finally, the ball has started rolling,” says Zahan, grandson of late superstar Shashi Kapoor.
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One would assume that with the famous Kapoor surname, it is easier for an actor to build a career. As the nepotism debate continues in Bollywood, Zahan — son of Kunal Kapoor and Sheena Sippy — admits that while he is aware of his privileges, he has been raised to forge his own path. He points out that in his family, only the passionate ones have made it big. “Those in the family, who are successful, are truly passionate about movies. The ones who were trying to take advantage of their position and hoping they would get by, haven’t made it [big],” he says, adding that cousins Ranbir Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor Khan are driven by their craft. “They are brilliant, and obsess over their work.”
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