Bollywood and its audience have always been strangely fascinated with nepotism and stars launching their kids in high-profile projects.
However, in the last few years, there’s been a trend where the film industry appears to be largely operated by a few select families who’ve pushed their kids into films at an ever-increasing pace just because they can.
These new faces include children of celebrated actors and producers like Janhvi Kapoor, Sara Ali Khan, Ananya Panday, and Aman Devgn.
These star kids continue to headline major debuts and secure opportunities at a rate unmatched even by reality show stars and winners like Vikrant Massey and Ayushmann Khurrana, who had to struggle immensely to establish their place in the industry.
Audiences have complained that some of these star kids are making their big-screen debuts even before their acting abilities are widely recognized or appreciated.
The public is both amused and frustrated as each debut appears to lower the bar of expectations. Critics and cinephiles have noted that at least earlier generations of star kids delivered more promising performances, unlike current debuts that are getting increasingly uninteresting.
However, many also believe that people were quick to judge these nepo kids, as their siblings are doing an even worse job at acting.
Fans believe that newer entries like Shanaya Kapoor with Aakhon ki Gustaakiyaan, Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor with Nadaaniyan, and Rasha Thadani in Azaad don’t even have the screen presence that their predecessors did.
Ahaan Panday appears as an exception in this list, as his debut film Saiyaara is being highly praised and appreciated for his acting prowess and audience pull.
Despite the ongoing push for star kids debuts, audiences are increasingly vocal about their demands for fresh talent that aren’t a part of the film industry yet but possess the skill to perform on screen.
Ultimately, it’s the industry that’s going to suffer if people start losing interest in the star kids altogether.
The debate around nepotism and its implications on the future of Bollywood remains more relevant today than ever.
