Nepotism is a word that will continue its reign in Bollywood dictionary because, well, that’s how things are in the fraternity, if you ask us. And as Bollywood star kids are gearing up for their debut films, their parents seem to be suffering from sleepless nights because they probably know the pros and cons of what it is like to be in the industry.
Given their superstar status, and the struggles they faced to achieve it is well known. And parents, being parents, will obviously worry for their children because if you wish to tread the Bollywood path, you need to be aware about its roller coaster ride status.
Sridevi’s recent interview gave away just that. Her fear and uneasiness is evident after her daughter Jhanvi decided to join the film industry. This fear, of course, stems from her own personal life because while she was a star, her journey was ridden with controversies, heartaches and tremendous obstacles. The actress also mentioned how she would rather have Jhanvi married than enter Bollywood.
Sridevi knows very well how women have, since times immemorial, been objectified not only on the silver screens, but also in real life and this is definitely not a life that a parent would want for their daughter. Also recently, with the news floating about how Jhanvi was caught by the paparazzi following Ranbir Kapoor, her star crush, at a party surely upset the daughter as well as the mother. When asked about it, her reply (to a leading daily) was, “Since it’s happening in the beginning of her career she isn’t liking it. She was quite upset and I was like, ‘Welcome to this world’. There is nothing wrong in going out with friends. A person wants to write something wrong, he will write it even if you are just going out with friends. I can’t stop that as she is a public (figure now). I have no control over anything.”
Likewise, doting dad Saif Ali Khan seemed quite perturbed since his daughter with Amrita Singh, Sara Ali Khan, has signed a film opposite Sushant Singh Rajput. He doesn’t seem to be elated with his daughter nursing Bollywood dreams since he feels the profession is too risky and full of ups and downs. “Why would she want that for herself? Look at where she studied. After having done that, why wouldn’t she want to live and work in New York, rather than do this?”
We know where this is coming from. Saif does not think Bollywood is a stable career owing to his own struggles in the industry. Of course, he does not mind Sara choosing this field because she is an independent woman who has every right to pursue whatever she wishes to. But if you look at Saif’s career graph when he first began, it was full of shoddy scripts, flops and humongous criticism from all corners. He did manage a U-turn with some fantastic performances and garnered a lot of praise over the years, but mind you, that did not come easy. So we think it is absolutely okay with Saif showing these concerns for his daughter because, well, why not.
Shahid Kapoor’s brother Ishaan Khataar is another star kid on the block who will make his Bollywood debut soon and apparently due to his popularity on social media, he is already getting linked with his co-stars. Ishaan, who has been spotted with Sridevi’s daughter Jhanvi numerous times, has to now deal with the wagging tongues of the paparazzi. And this news hasn’t gone down too well with big brother Shahid Kapoor who has apparently asked his brother to stay away from the spotlight and concentrate on his debut, and preferably not date other star kids. Again, we know where this is coming from (Shahid’s own experience and difficulties when dating star kids).
But what we think is that Shahid just needs to take a chill pill and remember that it is okay for his brother to choose who he likes and who he doesn’t because this isn’t about choosing a career, but is more about feelings that govern your heart and mind when you’re attracted to someone (which you may not have a control over).
Another Bollywood actor whose son will debut soon is Sunny Deol. And the actor has gone a step ahead to being an overprotective parent and who seems to be in no mood to leave his son alone in this big bad world known as Bollywood. So, he will be directing a film himself in which his son Karan Deol will make his debut.
On that note, we’ll leave you to ponder about the other possible reasons why Bollywood stars are hesitant about their kids’ debuts. Write down your views in the comments section below.
