Phillauri director Anshai Lal on nepotism: There’s nothing like that in Bollywood

For director Anshai Lal, Bollywood is just like any other industry but there is no surety of payment and that’s the only scary part.

Anshai Lal, who made his directorial debut with Anushka Sharma-starrer Phillauri (2017), has joined the nepotism debate. Since Karan Johar and Kangana Ranaut locked horns over the latter’s comment that Johar is the “flagbearer of nepotism”, many in Bollywood have taken sides. Lal, however, ,believes that there is nothing like nepotism in Bollywood.

Director Anshai Lal says that people have misconceptions that Bollywood industry doesn’t accept new people. (Manoj Verma/HT Photo)

“Industry is accepting. I don’t feel nepotism is prevalent. A film is made with a lot of money and no one would like to spend it just to favour someone,” says Lal, adding, “Bollywood mein bhi utni hi mehnat karni padti hai jitni ek MBA ko karni padti hai. Agar itna aasan hota to saare star kids, aaj super stars hote (just like any other field, you have to work hard here too. If star kids had an upper hand, then all of them would have been super stars). People have misconceptions that the industry doesn’t accept new people.”

Anshai Lal, who has worked as an assistant director in films such as Dostana (2008) and Housefull (2010) shares that making a film involves many risks. “You know how much you are going to earn in a job. But in Bollywood, there is no fixed structure, and this uncertainty scares people.”

In Phillauri, Lal worked with actor Anushka Sharma, who was also the producer of the film. About Anushka, the director says, “She is awesome. Her brother (Karnesh) and I, are really good friends and I know her informally too. She is really focused about her work as an actor, and that really helped us.”

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