Mohnish Bahl addresses nepotism

Titas Chowdhury

Nepotism has always been a raging issue in Bollywood. The debate that star kids get better opportunities as compared to newcomers in the industry, is something that has not reached a definitive conclusion yet. And actor Mohnish Bahl, who was born to late actor, Nutan, believes that it’s not possible to ignore the perks of belonging to a family with a lineage in films. “There are advantages of being connected to the industry through your parents or other family members. You’ve an easier access,” he says, adding, “Since you’ve grown up in that environment, it’s not very difficult for you to fit in and function in it. The learning curve starts right from your childhood.”

Drawing a dichotomy between star kids and budding actors with no background in films, he says, “When someone from outside the industry wants to enter Bollywood, they need to find the right doors and that, in itself, is a process. But now, with social media, you come to know about casting online. It has become much easier as compared to my time for newcomers.”

But Mohnish is a big believer in talent and he stresses on the importance of proving oneself in their first films. “No matter what your lineage is and the number of awards and the commercial success your lineage has accorded to you by virtue of your genetics, the bottom line is that when you’re standing before the camera, you’re standing alone and you’ve to deliver to the audience. That’s what I tell my daughter Pranutan (Bahl; actor) also,” he explains.

The Maine Pyar Kiya (1989) actor says the audience has the ultimate power to make an actor a star.

“The audience isn’t going to give you brownie points for being somebody’s son or daughter. If that was the case, then I would be a leading man and would be helming ₹100 crore films considering who my mother, aunt (Tanuja; actor) and grandmother (Shobhna Samarth; late actor) are. But that’s not the case. You have to eventually find your own place in the industry,” he concludes.

Mariah Carey