An actor's child becoming an actor isn't nepotism, says filmmaker Anubhav Sinha

Anubhav Sinha, R. Balki, nepotism, Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Bollywood, Sushant Singh Rajput

He was commenting on filmmaker R. Balki's recent quote on Ranbir, Alia and nepotism.

By IANS

Published: Sat 18 Jul 2020, 3:02 PM

Last updated: Sat 18 Jul 2020, 5:15 PM

Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha has tweeted his opinion on what he thinks his contemporary R. Balki meant while gushing about actors Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt in a recent interview.

"I don't think Balki meant Ranbir and Alia are the best actors right now. They aren't. There is no yardstick to compare two good actors. I think what he meant was that they are both truly deserving stars despite their illustrious pedigree. And I agree with that," tweeted Sinha on Saturday.

Sinha's tweet comes in the wake of what Balki said recently, amidst ongoing debates about nepotism that erupted after actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death.

"The question is do they (star kids) have an unfair or bigger advantage? Yes, there are pros and cons. But I'd ask one simple question: Find me a better actor than Alia (Bhatt) or Ranbir (Kapoor), and we'll argue. It's unfair on these few people who're probably some of the finest actors," R Balki told Hindustan Times in an interview while talking about nepotism in the film industry.

Sinha went on to explain why he feels an actor's child becoming an actor cannot be described as nepotism.

"In the 30s There was an actress called Rattan Bai. She had a daughter called Shobhana Samarth who would also act. Shobhana had two daughters that acted, Nutan and Tanuja. Tanuja's daughters are Kajol and Tanishtha. Is that Nepotism???? N.O. Kuchh bhi mat bolo saare... (Please don't say anything you feel like)," mentioned the director in a separate tweet.

While Sinha has tried to find reason in Balki's statement, veteran filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and acclaimed screenwriter-editor Apurva Asrani are among the Bollywood names who have disagreed with his opinion.

I don't think Balki meant Ranbir and Alia are the best actors right now. They aren't. There is no yardstick to compare two good actors. I think what he meant was that they are both truly deserving stars despite their illustrious pedigree. And I agree with that.
- Anubhav Sinha (@anubhavsinha) July 18, 2020

In the 30s There was an actress called Rattan Bai. She had a daughter called Shobhana Samarth who would also act. Shobhana had two daughters that acted, Nutan and Tanuja. Tanuja's daughters are Kajol and Tanishtha. Is that Nepotism???? N.O.

Kuchh bhi mat bolo saare...
- Anubhav Sinha (@anubhavsinha) July 18, 2020