Abhay addresses nepotism in Bollywood

Despite being what many may refer to as a Bollywood star kid, actor Abhay Deol has addressed the raging nepotism debate in the film industry that has reared its head in light of actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death last month.

The younger actor, whose uncle Dharmendra was a superstar in the film industry during his prime with hits such as Sholay, Phool Aur Patthar, Aankhen and many more, spoke at length about making his own way into Bollywood, despite being a member of the Deol family.

“My uncle, whom I affectionately call dad, was an outsider who made it big in the film industry. I’m glad there is an active debate on the practices behind the scenes. Nepotism is just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve only ever made one film with my family, my 1st, and I’m grateful to be blessed and have that privileged [sic],” Deol wrote in a lengthy post on Instagram.

Deol’s first film was Socha Na Tha (2005), which was directed by Imtiaz Ali and produced by veteran star Dharmendra. However, the veteran star’s nephew stated that despite his big break, he chose to forge his own path in the film industry. “I’ve gone that extra mile in my career to make my own path, something that dad always encouraged. For me he was the inspiration,” Deol further wrote.

The 44-year-old actor, who never reached the career heights of his uncle, nor his cousin, actorfilmmaker Sunny Deol, further stated that “nepotism is prevalent everywhere in our culture, be it in politics, business, or film.”

“I was well aware of it and it pushed me to take chances with new directors and producers throughout my career. That is how I was able to make movies that were considered “out of the box.” I’m glad some of those artists and films went on to have tremendous success,” Deol further wrote.

Some of the younger actor’s successful films include Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd (2007), Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008), Dev.D (2009) and his biggest

commercial hit, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011).