‘I’M AN ACTOR BECAUSE OF NEPOTISM’

Emraan says he got into films easily as Mahesh Bhatt is his uncle

Actor Emraan Hashmi (left) clearly doesn’t believe in mincing words, and more so when speaking about an ongoing controversy. And this time, it’s with regard to the nepotism debate that has rocked the film industry. The infamous chant ‘nepotism rocks!’ at a recent film awards ceremony only added fuel to the fire.

Emraan unapologetically says that it was his “inside connection” that landed him his first film, Footpath (2003). “Yes, nepotism exists in our industry, and I got a break because of it. If my uncle [Mahesh Bhatt], who is a producer and director hadn’t been there, I wouldn’t have been an actor,” he says.

However, Emraan insists that initially he didn’t want to take up acting as a career option. “My case was different. There was no dying need for me to become an actor or be a part of this industry. I just got done with college and I stepped into films,” he adds.

The actor feels that people will definitely have biased views about their own family. “I wouldn’t push my seven-year-old son, Ayaan, into Bollywood. But tomorrow, if he wants to become an actor, it won’t be difficult for him, as his father is an actor and producer,” he adds.

However, Emraan feels that the easy start could later pose a risk to his son’s career. “The industry will try to box my son into an image that his father had and snatch away his individuality. They won’t let him start afresh, like an outsider,” he says.

Emraan will next be seen in the upcoming film Baadshaho.