In response to questions about nepotism on Netflix’s Archies, Zoya Akhtar stated that she is free to pursue her career goals as a director.
Given that three of the main cast members of Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies—Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, and Agastya Nanda—are the offspring or grandkids of extremely successful actors, the film has only recently been unveiled and has already been the subject of accusations of nepotism. Does the argument even have a point, though?
When asked about the nepotism controversy during their most recent conversation, Zoya Akhtar responded, “I believe the debate is about haves and have-nots. It has to do with social capital, access, and privilege. I can so relate to you feeling enraged or frustrated that you don’t have the same access that certain individuals do. We should have a conversation about that.”
She also stated, “All people must have equal access to education, employment opportunities, and other resources. However, it’s meaningless to argue that Suhana Khan shouldn’t be in my movie because it won’t make a difference in your life. It is imperative that you discuss what will transform your life.”
With the Netflix premiere of Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies, seven new stars in the business make their debut. Suhana Khan, the younger daughter of the late Sridevi, Khushi Kapoor, and Agastya Nanda, the grandson of Amitabh Bachchan, are among them.
Zoya Akhtar defended the entire nepotism debate
Director Zoya Akhtar defended the entire nepotism debate surrounding the December 7 release in an interview with The Juggernaut. It’s “banal,” she added, adding that ultimately, nobody can tell her what to do with her own money.
There are two types of debates: excellent and poor. There are pointless discussions, and the one concerning nepotism in Bollywood is at the bottom of the list—sooner than the delicious competition over vegetarian biryani. When Zoya Akhtar revealed the cast of her new Netflix movie The Archies, the entire N-debate erupted on Twitter.
Three cast members—Agastya Nanda, the grandson of Amitabh Bachchan, Suhana Khan, the daughter of Shah Rukh Khan, and Khushi Kapoor, the late Sridevi—have extremely successful parents or grandparents.
Those who usually complain about nepotism, would prefer to think that they were discovered floating in a river, a la Karna or Moses. That their parents have never, to use a term from Varun Dhawan, bought them a single pencil box; that they were raised in ancient Sparta, where they had to survive in the wild like Leonidas. that all they have accomplished in life is the result of their “hard work” and that they are creatures with “merit” coursing through them.
It’s likely that if you’re reading this, your childhood was fortunate. You are most likely viewing this article on a technology that is exclusive to the richest 1% of Indians, and you most likely had access to an exceptional English education.
And for that reason, the debate is incredibly meaningless. All of us—including the author—are products of privilege, which is reliant on our parents’ achievement, which has been made possible by a variety of circumstances, such as their parents’ privilege and the state of the economy at the time of their birth.
Given that I am a seed of my parents, I should be able to reap the benefits of their success, so why shouldn’t Suhana, Khushi, or Agastya also be successful? In addition to being the finest actors of their generation, Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh, and Sridevi were all relative unknowns who rose to prominence in Bollywood thanks to their skill, tenacity, and diligence. This implies that their kids don’t need to work in a Calcutta mercantile company or arrive in Bombay with ₹1500 in their pockets in order to sustain their profession.
It’s not a feature exclusive to the Hindi cinema business. Consider the Telugu film business, which is currently the hub of Indian filmmaking in terms of box office receipts. The son of Chiranjeevi is Ram Charan. The actors Allu Arjun, Jr. NTR, Mahesh Babu, Prabhas, and Nagarjuna hail from various film families.
There are scions and outsiders in every sector. The false foundation upon which civilization is erected is the idea that all races are equal. There will always be some of us who have it easier than others. To arrive at the same place, some will need to put in more effort. And some people will never get there.
It is entirely legal for Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, and Karan Johar to cast and debut anybody they like. Furthermore, it is well within our rights as viewers to select what to watch and ignore.
An further point of contention in the “nepotism in Bollywood” issue is the lack of recognition for exceptionally gifted actors or auteurs. It’s true that those with a history in film will have more opportunities, but it doesn’t mean gifted outsiders won’t be given a chance.
