‘I have told my daughters that acting is not as glamorous as it looks’
If my kids want to do something outside of this industry, I would support them. ARJUN RAMPAL, ACTOR
While several star kids are lining up to enter Bollywood, Arjun Rampal says there’s still time for his daughters —Myra, 12 and Mahikaa, 16 — to choose a career option. “I don’t think either of them really knows right now what they want to do in life. And that’s fair enough. For some people, it takes time to understand it,” he says. But does he personally wish that his daughters follow in his footsteps? “Well, I won’t groom my daughters to become a part of this industry only for them to realise later that they don’t like this profession. If my kids want to do something outside of this industry, I would support them. And if they want to be a part of Bollywood, then, from whatever experience I have, I will guide them,” he says.
However, the actor won’t show his daughters only the rosy side of the glamour industry. “I’ll definitely tell them that it’s a really difficult job and it’s not as glamorous as it looks. Honestly, I think they kind of realise this already because they have seen it. They need to accept that it takes a lot out of you. You sacrifice a lot of things. So, if they really want to do it correctly, I will definitely encourage them,” says Arjun. He believes that when it comes to career choices, one should follow the heart. “You should not go for something which is forced upon you or take up something just because your father is in that profession,” he says.
Talking about nepotism, a hot topic in Bollwyood, Arjun says, “If you are not good at your work, trust me, nobody will invest money on you despite your film background. Yes, certain people do get more chances than others but eventually, it’s your talent that takes you places.”