Rahul Nair: I’m on my own path, my father on his

As he debuts under Farhan-Zoya’s banners, Eternally Confused... director says he doesn’t pitch ideas to producer-father Sameer Nair

Those who have seen Eternally Confused and Eager for Love will agree that director Rahul Nair, who presents the dilemmas of modern dating in the series, has a fresh and relatable style. It is refreshing to see that Rahul — son of content creator and Applause Entertainment’s CEO Sameer Nair — chose to make his directorial debut under Zoya Akhtar’s banner Tiger Baby Films, instead of collaborating with his father. A result of the nepotism debate that has rocked Bollywood over the past few years, perhaps? 

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Farhan Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar, Rahul and Sameer Nair

Far from that. The debutant director says that he was always determined to carve his own path.  Asked if he ever pitched a story or idea to his producer-father, Rahul offers an emphatic “Never”. “I’m never going to show anything to them. My step-mother [Sawari Alagh-Nair] works in the industry, too. But we have always kept work and family separate. When I joined Excel Entertainment as an intern, [it was understood that] I was on my own path, and my father, on his. We discuss our adjacent paths over dinner, but that’s the extent of it,” he says.  

Reema Kagti, who serves as one of the producers on the Netflix series, says that it has been satisfying to see Rahul grow from an intern at Farhan Akhtar’s production house to a director. She recounts, “I first met Rahul about six-seven years ago when we had started prepping for Gold [2018]. He helped me with referencing [and research]. He has come a long way since.” 

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