‘Nepotism doesn’t mean spoiled kids': Suniel Shetty hails Varun Dhawan for talking highly about Ahan's role in Border 2

Suniel Shetty defends against nepotism claims, noting Varun Dhawan's admiration for Ahan.

The debate around nepotism continues to rage in Bollywood, with many often criticising the performances of star kids. In a recent episode of Peeping Moon’s Benchmark Conversations podcast, actor Suniel Shetty shared his perspective, stating that there is “nothing like nepotism”, citing Varun Dhawan’s support for his son Ahan Shetty as an example.

Suniel Shetty says he doesn't like the word nepotism.

Suniel Shetty says there's nothing like nepotism in Bollywood

Suniel said, “I don’t like the word nepotism. There’s no such thing as nepotism. Mere bete ko log nepo kid kahenge, lekin har baap yahi chahta hai ki uska baccha achha kare aur aage badhe. Somewhere down the line, it’s a way of life. It’s how generations continue. I got the opportunity to run a restaurant because my father used to run one. When you are privileged, you do get opportunities, but it depends on individuals how they make use of them.”

Suniel’s son Ahan is now set to make his comeback to the big screen with Border 2, while Suniel himself was part of the original Border. The actor revealed that he is excited about Ahan being a part of the sequel, as he believes his son will receive the same respect that he did when he featured in the 1997 war drama. Suniel also shared that he fully backed Ahan when he decided to drop everything to take on Border 2, and he is glad he supported that decision.

He further spoke about how Border 2 has given Ahan not just a powerful film but also the right team — good producers, a strong director, and a mentor in Sunny Deol, who, according to Suniel, took care of Ahan like his own son. He added, “Diljit and Ahan are very close today, and he absolutely loves him. Varun khud ke role ke baare mein kam aur Ahan ke role ke baare mein zyada baat karta hai (Varun talks less about his own role and more about Ahan’s role). That says a lot about so-called nepo kids. Everyone thinks nepotism means spoiled kids, but that’s not true. Today, it’s Varun who is speaking so highly about Ahan everywhere.”

About Border 2

Helmed by Anurag Singh and produced by Nidhi Dutta, Binoy Gandhi and Bhushan Kumar, the epic action war film is based on the India–Pakistan war of 1971. The film is a sequel to J. P. Dutta’s 1997 blockbuster Border and was released in theatres today, January 23. It has been receiving positive responses from audiences so far.