With Archies, It's Time To Stop Bashing Starkids - A Look At The Unfair Hatred

New Delhi: If you have been browsing through social media, it is hard not to miss the promotions of Zoya Akhtar’s much-awaited “ The Archies”. What’s even more apparent is the lens being firmly focused on three ( Suhana Khan, Agastya Nanda and Khushi Kapoor) of its seven actors, which also includes Mihir Ahuja, Vedang Raina, Yuvraj Menda and Dot.

The film’s director calls out the same, “I have seven actors on the poster and in the film, why is everyone focussed on just three of them.” 

“We auditioned every possible youngster across the board and each one of these characters auditioned for every part at least three times before we decided to cast whom as who”, says Reema Kagti. 

I think each one has surprised you in some way or the other. Dot, who plays Ethel, is a musician, I used to follow her on YouTube. That's how I know her. Mihir was with us in Made in Heaven and he was doing an emotional scene and I thought he could be Jughead. Suhana was already acting. She was in school in New York. She was training to be an actor. So we knew she wanted to act. Agastya was cast last as Archie and Khushi was cast first as Betty,” says Zoya.

 You get her frustration, despite all seven actors being assembled at promotions, the questions are directed towards the three-star kids, the headlines on portals and posts on social media focussed on them. 

Why, if on the one hand, we love to lash out at the film industry, calling it the grand central of Nepotism, but on the other, the media and the audience seem invested in the lives of star kids, over the rest?

As an industry insider says the proof is in the pudding.” You bash them and call them out, but the obsessiveness is to the extent of being voyeuristic. We don’t even spare the toddlers. There is a constant hunger to know about their life and lifestyles. It extends to their work, when they succeed it is called genetics when they fail, it Is called Nepotism, connections over talent. Classic case of damn they do and damn if they don’t”.

The dictionary defines Nepotism as “using your power or influence to give an unfair advantage to your family, especially by giving them jobs”.

Though children often end up following the professions of their parents, since we are discussing the film industry, the results are pretty transparent, since the verdict lies in the hands of the audience. The industry has several examples of those who carried forth the legacy and those who caved under its burden.
 We don’t need to look further beyond the first family of Hindi Cinema, The Kapoors.

Prithvi Raj Kapoor had insisted all his sons Raj, Shammi and Shashi first start as apprentices and work in his theater group to learn the ropes of filmmaking and what it entails. But he never launched either of his sons who went on to carve their niche in Indian cinema. 

Randhir Kapoor directed his debut film Kal Aaj Aur Kal in 1971 which was produced by his father Raj Kapoor. In 1973 Raj Kapoor launched his second son Rishi Kapoor in Bobby. The box office fate of both the brothers is starkly different from the other.

Randhir Kapoor’s daughter  Karisma who became the first Kapoor girl to act, made her debut in D Rama Naidu’s Prem Qaidi in 1991. Kareena made her debut in JP Dutta’s Refugee opposite another star kid Abhishek Bachchan in 2000. The film’s debacle more or less sealed the fate of the two newcomers, who then went through their journey bearing the cross of their legacy and their fate as actors seeking acceptance at the box office.

Ranbir Kapoor made his debut with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Sawaariyan, the film may have flopped but Ranbir’s talent was there for all to see. Many drew comparisons between him and his grandfather, as he proved his abilities he too courted a string of flops. Though the buzz around his latest Animal is so strong, the actor who does not take his craft lightly says it’s time for him to take a break and recalibrate.

“At the end of the day how good or bad are you and your work is for the audience to decide’ says Abhishek Bachchan.

There are several other examples. Rajendra Kumar launched his son Kumar Gaurav in Love Story in 1981. The film was a runaway hit and Kumar Gaurav became the heartthrob of millions. But a constant string of flops that soon followed sealed his fate. On the other hand the same year Sanjay Dutt who was launched by his father Sunil Dutt in Rocky, though courted headlines both good and bad, found mass acceptance in hits such as Khalnayak, Vaastav, Munnabhai MBBS.

Dharmendra launched both sons Sunny in Betaab ( 1983)and Bobby in Barsaat ( 1995) Sunny became the face of the disillusioned youth and had to his credits several hits in Arjun, Ghatak, Damini, Ghayal. His brother Bobby had his fair share of struggles even taking a break from films only to make a stellar comeback with the web series Aashram and now we cannot seem to get enough of him in Animal.

Sunny Deol launched his son Karan with Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, but the film flopped and his fate was sealed. Though his second son Rajveer made his debut in Rajshri’s Dono, the film hardly had any takers.

Hrithik Roshan who was launched by father Rakesh Roshan, who hardly tasted success as an actor in his own time and continued to collaborate with him. But his mega popularity goes beyond his name, he has time and time again showcased his strong box office draw.

Alia Bhatt may have had the rite of passage by being launched by Karan Johar as Student of the Year in 2012. Though she is constantly trolled, she has time and time again proved that she is not only an actor par excellence but an unusual talent. Her brand equity is the highest and is the only female actor with a 99 per cent success ratio at the box office.

Alia has learnt to ignore the constant drone of the N-word, and as Kareena Kapoor Khan says, we are not forcing you to watch our films. 

Film Critic Anna Vetticad says” It is clear from Alia’s journey that she has studied the struggles and successes of generations of women who have gone before her in this deeply patriarchal film industry. This includes her immediate seniors with thriving careers such as Vidya Balan, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra and Anushka Sharma. Her powers of observation and absorption are reflected in her decision to turn producer so early, to pick author-backed roles even on rare occasions when she has played small supporting characters, to withstand patriarchy’s demand that women – unlike men – must go slow on their careers once they become parents, and to give primacy to Indian cinema, which is brimful of opportunities for her, despite her evident interest in an international stage. Alia has a child-like air about her but her choices speak volumes about her astuteness.”   

Ananya Panday who was snubbed by her Gehraaiyan co-star Sidhant Chaturvedi that your struggles start where our dreams are fulfilled. 

The 25-year-old along with many counterparts Sara Ali Khan, and Janhvi Kapoor are under constant scrutiny.  On the other hand, their social currency remains the most viable. With over a million followers on their social media accounts, they are the face of several brands, and their every move is captured not only by the paps but by the public.

Janhvi Kapoor says she cannot help perceptions,” people feel I take my privilege lightly, no I don’t. I give my life to my work and work the hardest. There is this preconceived mindset.”

Sara Ali Khan who had a string of flops accepted that it was time for her to look within and not constantly play to the galleries.

Yes, filmy families may have an edge, but when it comes to evaluations, it is economics, the demand and supply which determines your equity. 

“They have a brand value also given their legacies they are familiar to audiences, and given their reach, it’s a no brainer for brands to court them”, says a brand strategist. Yes, many of the so-called outsiders from Kartik Aaryan to Taapsee Pannu have said it has taken them thrice the effort to get access to names in the business, unlike those who may have the numbers on their speed dial. Having proven their abilities many of the outsiders have surpassed the so-called insiders.
“From Priyanka Chopra to  Vidya Balan, Deepika Padukone, Kiara Advani, Sidharth Malhotra, Ranveer Singh To Kartik Aaryan, the outsiders far outnumber the so-called industry wallah. In this industry, your name can only help you to an extent but it can in no way determine your future. All it takes is a hit or a flop. The Friday is the freakiest day in the industry.”

With the changing dynamics in the world of entertainment, maybe it is time to retire the nepotism debate. Also is the audience and media willing to shift focus on the stream of new, not yet happening but talented actors, and give them a fair chance?