The Kashmir Files actor Bhasha Sumbli on nepotism: 'Industry prefers dumber people to make the dumb people look better'

Bhasha Sumbli made claims about nepotism in the film industry and said there's no space for talent.

Actor Bhasha Sumbli recently opened up about nepotism in the film industry. She said people in the industry prefer ‘dumber people’ to make the dumb people shine. She also claimed that in the process, talented actors are isolated. She cited late actor Irrfan Khan as one of the outsiders who made his place in the industry.

Bhasha Sumbli was last seen in The Kashmir Files.

Bhasha Sumbli on nepotism

Bhasha Sumbli told news agency PTI in Hindi, “The audience is made to see some faces repeatedly, it is an example of nepotism. This is why you lose faith in talent. You feel if these people only have to go forward then there's no space for real talent to actually come (out). If there is some space then they have to make (that) space, example Irrfan (Khan).”

Bhasha Sumbli on industry isolating talents

“When I was not in films, I used to sit with my batchmates from the theatre in Bombay and say ‘Let me just get one chance then I will prove myself and get a lot of work.’ But, reality turned out to be something else. You don't get work even after proving yourself. Why? Hindi film industry prefers dumber people to make the dumb people look better; the dumb majority of stars try to isolate actors who stand out because of their talent. it's a very unfortunate state of affairs,” she added.

The Kashmir Files

Bhasha Sumbli is best known for Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files. In the film, she appeared in the key role of Sharda Pandit, which is said to be loosely based on the real-life story of Girija Tickoo. Besides her, the film also starred Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty and Pallavi Joshi, among others.

The film depicts the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from Kashmir in the 1990s, and mired controversy for quite some time. While the film did well at the box office via word of mouth, many also criticised it and even called it a ‘propaganda’ film. It was produced by Pallavi Joshi, and Abhishek Agarwal in association with Zee Studios.

Besides The Kashmir Files, Bhasha Sumbli also appeared in Deepika Padukone's film Chhapaak.