‘Nepotism debate is a waste of time and energy’
Actor Anuup Sonii has a straightforward take on the nepotism, insideroutsider debate that is growing fiercer by the day. “I feel it’s a waste of time and energy,” he rues.
Elaborating his point, the actor goes on to ask, “Which field doesn’t have challenges that you don’t have to face? If my father is a doctor, and I want to become one, it’ll be easier for me than you, as he’ll guide me, making sure that I get admission in a good medical school. After completing my studies, my father will make sure I get attached to a prominent hospital. It’s the same with a lawyer. Fark kya hai?”
Being someone who made it big without any connections in the industry, Sonii, 45, feels that every outsider becomes an insider one day.
Sonii quotes actor Shah Rukh Khan’s example to support his stance. “He was an outsider 27 years back, now he’s an insider. When his son wants to become a hero, don’t you think SRK will help him, and try to give him the best launch? Uske baad janta ke haath mein hai, if they like or not. And then he’ll do more films,” reasons the actor.
He further points many examples of industry kids who weren’t successful, “Their fathers are big producers, even they didn’t re-launch their kids. At the end of the day, it’s all business,” he says.
But what about the opportunities that industry kids keeping getting even if their first film don’t work, compared to someone who has just their first film to prove themselves? “They’ll get those chances. I’m not favouring any star kid. My father wasn’t a producer, what do I do now? Should I cry over this, ‘Mujhe actor banna hai, kya karunga, rounga mere papa nahi hai?’ I’ll prove myself,” says Sonii, adding that he’s aware he needs to work harder than a star kid to make his mark.
“Yes, I might think that even I can get launched as a hero, why do I keep doing character roles? If my father was a film star, even I would have been launched as a hero, not caring how I looked. Mujhse buri shakal wale bhi hero ban rahe hain, main bhi ban sakta hoon na. But that’s not the point. You’ve to accept the reality and work to prove your point with your work,” explains the Prassthanam (2019) actor.