Kunal feels that today, the audience is only interested in merit not legacy

Kunal Kapoor says that singling out the film industry for nepotism is unfair as it exists everywhere, however, after a point it does not matter whose son daughter or relative you are

Being from the industry can only take you that far. Eventually, the audience is only interested in what you bring to the screen, not whose son daughter or relative you are,” says actor Kunal Kapoor on the raging nepotism debate that has currently engulfed Bollywood.

Kapoor says that after a point only talent matters

The actor who made his debut in 2005 with Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities feels that one only has to look at his/her surroundings to figure out that people, today, “are not as interested in legacy as they are with merit”. “You see it in the tech sector, almost all the billion-dollar tech companies have been created by people who didn’t come from any big corporate families. You see it in our politics. And you definitely see it in the movie industry,” he says adding that it is unfair to single out one particular industry.

The Rang De Basanti (2007) actor has worked in numerous film industries across the country and feels that with the coming of OTT platforms, “you have audiences that are exposed to so much content from across the world which is why you really have to push the envelope to grab their attention”. He feels that today the filmmakers are looking “inwards” and “are finally telling stories that are true to us”. This thought reflects in his debut film as well which was directed by the late legendary artiste MF Hussain and was widely acclaimed.

“It was a very unconventional movie to debut with. Hussain sir was truly special, not only as an artist but also as a human being. Very few people have a mind like his, and make the sort of impact that he did. He was enthusiastic, curious, spontaneous and a creative force. There are life lessons that I learnt from him, that will stay with me forever,” recalls the actor.