The continuous debate over the term ‘nepotism’ got us thinking. The word -which undoubtedly has caught the imagination of urban India in recent times- if you ponder, impacts every professional’s life.
If you Google the term ‘nepotism’, it states — ‘the practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs’.
True, and it is prevalent in every single profession in the world. Anyone in denial is living in an Utopian state. It is obvious for human beings to back and support their own; however, it does impact the overall system when the idea of ‘support’ turns into an egoistic, fanatical battle of control and power by wielding similar genes all across.
In the entertainment space, nepotism, the term, has become synonymous with Karan Johar, especially after a rather boisterous exchange of words on the topic between Karan and Kangana Ranaut on Karan’s talk show, Koffee With Karan.
Since then, the debate has been raging and lifts its curious head every now and then, when tapped by some headline-seeking scribe. After all, it is fodder for great content.
It’s true that nepotism gives opportunity, but no way has it defined success. We don’t have to cite examples here — look around and any enlightened person will concur, most definitely.
Recently, at an event held in Goa, rising star Siddhanth Chaturvedi sarcastically mentioned, “What else can star kids do?” when asked about nepotism. It does reflect a larger sentiment among those who struggle to the top, minus the silver spoon. However, nepotism should not be used as an excuse by those who aren’t able to make the cut.
Talent coupled with hard work does do wonders. Here, I would like to state with utmost earnestness that when Bollywood or the so called movie industry has apparently failed many of its rising stars, TV, on the other hand, has provided opportunity to many real talents and have made them rich and famous.
TV’s popular face Shivangi Joshi, aka Naira from Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, recently purchased a swanky set of wheels. It’s endearing and inspiring for many to see a middle class girl, via sheer hard work, and a platform provided by television, make it big in tinsel town. It is a perfect fairy tale rags to riches story.
She is not the only one. There are umpteen such aspirants on TV who are now well-known established stars, ruling the hearts of millions. There is no denying the fact that unlike 70mm, TV has indeed given more flight to ambitious dreams. Opportunities have further increased with the web entertainment revolution, wherein, if you’ve got it, you can even make it solo, becoming a digital star. The sky is the limit for those who don’t want to give up and have faith on their performance might.
Nepotism is a natural human tendency and it will linger on, accept it. Here, we stand in agreement with Kalki Koechlin, who said that stars should take the profession seriously. If an actor’s son wants to become an actor, then he or she should hone their acting skills. Absolutely.
Talent and opportunity go hand-in-hand. And kudos to the TV industry for shaping the careers of so many.
IWMBuzz