Saikiran Uppuluri
Saikiran Uppuluri
Zoya Akhtar, director of the Netflix release The Archies, stands firm on her stance regarding the ongoing nepotism debate. The film introduces seven new faces, including Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, and Agastya Nanda, all hailing from renowned Bollywood families. In an interview with The Juggernaut, Akhtar dismisses the nepotism discourse as ‘banal,’ asserting her right to make creative decisions with her own money.
Addressing the nepotism debate, Akhtar emphasizes the broader issue of privilege, access, and social capital. She acknowledges the frustration stemming from unequal opportunities but deems discussions about individuals like Suhana Khan being cast in her film as trivial. Akhtar defends her right to follow her chosen path, citing her upbringing in the industry and her father’s (Javed Akhtar) influence.
Akhtar argues that the actual problem lies elsewhere and asserts that taking her own money for casting decisions should not be labeled as nepotism. She challenges critics, stating that if every child born into the film industry chose not to work in film, it wouldn’t fundamentally change anyone’s life. She concludes by emphasizing the audience’s role in determining a director or actor’s success, placing the responsibility on viewers to decide whether they want to support a particular talent.
