Vikram Bhatt weighs in on nepotism in Bollywood, says audiences made Ranbir-Alia 'stars'

Bollywood filmmaker Vikram Bhatt spoke about the nepotism debate in Bollywood and called it a "nonsense discussion" by claiming that the practice is prevalent everywhere, but Bollywood has often been an easy target. Citing examples of actors Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, he stated that they have become stars because of the audiences' appreciation of their work and not because of their famous fathers. He also said that there are many actors-directors who have had the opportunity to establish themselves in the industry, but it is because of the audiences' rejection that they could not make a name for themselves.

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He elaborated on the nepotism angle in Bollywood that any person would work hard to ensure that their children won't have to face hardships in the future. Bhatt said that a politician, businessman, or a sportsperson's son would be expected to fill in his father's shoes but the discussion of whether an actor's son can become an actor or a director has somehow grabbed the limelight. He shared his belief that the film industry is being looked at selectively through the prism of nepotism because it is a world created by and for the audience.

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In another one of his recent interviews with a national daily, Vikram Bhatt had spoken about actor Kangana Ranaut and praised her for her acting prowess. However, when asked if he would ever do a film with her in the future, he joked that he would probably become the 'clapper boy' as he revealed that he had heard that Kangana writes her own story and directs the films herself. Bhatt had also spoken about Bipasha Basu in the interaction and lauded her for being a dedicated and passionate actor.

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On the work front

Vikram Bhatt's last outing as a director was the film Hacked which released in theaters in February 2020. He has written the upcoming film Chehre which will feature actors Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi in lead roles. The film was scheduled for worldwide release in July 2020 but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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