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Anushka Sharma on nepotism: “You can’t blame actors or star kids for it”

Anushka Sharma feels that while acknowledging nepotism in Bollywood is important, it is ultimately a pointless topic to dwell on.

When asked about nepotism during the promotions of ‘Sui Dhaaga’ (2018), Sharma said, “I’m definitely taking a break from this question, because I think this has been debated way too much. I think if there were more important debates around what actually happens in this country, then maybe we could have [become] much better, but that’s not happening. Everybody is debating nepotism. I have nothing else to add to it.”, Hindustan Times reported.

From her own perspective as an actor who entered the industry from scratch, she shared, “There are always pros and cons in everything and every situation you are in. Yes, there’s a lot of hype around star kids, while we, coming from the outside, are the underdogs. We don’t have, I’d say, that much pressure to perform well. Yes, the opportunities might be more for them, but at the same time, there are pros and cons to everyone’s lives.”, adding that, “When I’m working with a star kid or non-star kid, I’m not thinking that the other person is working any less. Also, I feel you can’t blame actors for [nepotism]. You can, maybe, blame the people who are responsible for nepotism, but you can’t blame actors or star kids for it. At the end of the day, all that people want is the acknowledgement that yes, there’s a sense [that nepotism exists], but I think beyond that it’s just a useless conversation.”

Reflecting on her own success, she spoke about how she has evolved throughout her career, “It’s important to grow as a person and an actor. It’s important to reinvent yourself with each film. We’re very lucky that we’re working in this day and age where we get accepted in even films like ‘October’ (2018) and ‘Pari’ (2018), and also films like ‘Judwaa 2’ (2017) and ‘Sultan’ (2016), which are typically commercial. We’re fortunate that we can strike that balance and that’s what we strive to do as actors, because it’s important to reinvent and make yourself interesting with each film. Or you’d become a very boring person.”

Sharma’s latest release ‘Sui Dhaaga’, co-starring Varun Dhawan, released on 28th September and is having a good run at the box office.