Harshvardhan Rane says Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, Thamma success proves nepotism is just an excuse: 'Let’s end this word'

Harshvardhan Rane's new release Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat has earned ₹50 crore at the box office, while Thamma, starring Ayushmann, has grossed ₹100 crore.

Actor Harshvardhan Rane is currently basking in the success of his latest release, Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, co-starring Sonam Bajwa and directed by Milap Zaveri. The film has received a warm response at the box office, prompting the duo to embark on a nationwide post-release promotional tour. In an interview with Zoom, Harshvardhan opened up about the film’s box office clash with Ayushmann Khurrana and Rashmika Mandanna’s Thamma, while also sharing a strong message about the long-running nepotism debate in Bollywood.

Harshvardhan Rane is done with nepotism debate

Harshvardhan discussed his film Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat's box office clash with Thamma and urged an end to the nepotism debate in Bollywood, advocating for equal treatment of all filmmakers.

Reflecting on the topic, Harshvardhan said, “My initial reaction was that the whole country should finally stop using this one word that we’ve been obsessed with for the last 6-7 years — nepotism. Let’s end this word in 2025 because you guys have ended it. Two outsider films were released together on Diwali, and both received equal love and box office numbers. What does that mean? That the audience treats everyone equally.”

He added, “So where is nepotism? It’s just an excuse. If you’re lazy or afraid to take risks, you use this word. It’s a defence mechanism. If someone around you uses this word, just smile, excuse yourself, and walk away. Everyone is tired of hearing it now. This word has been overused, and there’s no example left,” he concluded.

About Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat and Thamma's box-office collection

Meanwhile, Thamma is a supernatural-romantic thriller-comedy from Maddock Films’ horror-comedy universe, directed by Aditya Sarpotdar. It stars Ayushmann Khurrana as a journalist and Rashmika Mandanna as Betaal, who fall in love and fight Nawazuddin Siddiqui's supremacy. To date, it has earned ₹100 crore in India.