In the Telugu film industry too, when a two crore film is being made, the casting directors or production houses search not for genuine talent or outsiders through audition but opt for an easy route. They cite the reasons too. They want to rope in some producer’s son or daughter though they aren’t great looking or skilled because the names sell. They can do business with the publicity but if you hire newcomers the marketing and business gets tough. Nepotism does exist but only with talent and the looks survive or float. Look at Allu Sirish, Anand Devarakonda, Santosh Shoban, Vaibhav Reddy, K Prakash Rao or for that matter Dasari Narayana Rao’s son Arun. None of them after the initial buzz could make an impact. Filmmaker R Balki too feels the same, that the audience will not accept anyone who isn’t skilled. Someone might watch your film for the first time to check you out but it doesn’t make sense for the producer-father to invest crores on launching their children.
The existence of nepotism in the film industry is something that nobody is denying, however, everyone does point to the good and the flip side of it. Filmmaker R Balki is of the opinion that many a times, people discuss these topics solely for the purpose of entertainment, and it’s not a genuine conversation that possibly would lead to a lot many crucial points. “It’s undeniable that this happens everywhere. Think about the Mahindras, Ambanis, Bajajs… Their father passed on the businesses to them. Does anyone say ‘No I don’t think Mukesh Ambani shouldn’t run this business, someone else should?’ In every strata of the society, it happens, even a driver or a vegetable seller passes on businesses to their children. So, it’s a foolish argument. Remember we live in a free society,” he asserts.
Elaborating his point, Balki feels everyone is not really talking about the problem and finds it unfair to use words like nepotism when certain actors are concerned. “The question is do they (star kids) have an unfair or bigger advantage? Yes, there are pros and cons. But I’d ask one simple question: Find me a better actor than Alia (Bhatt) or Ranbir (Kapoor), and we’ll argue. It’s unfair on these few people who’re probably some of the finest actors.” The 56-year-old rues that instead of celebrating Alia’s talent, people talk about her being born to a filmmaker father and her having an advantage.
“Understand that audiences don’t like actors without talent. Sometimes, they also want to see star kids on screen. That’s only the first chance that you get, and then one needs to survive on their own. I agree it’s far more difficult for an outsider to make an entry in films, but talent gets the opportunity,” says the director. While casting for a film, clarifies Balki, all he looks for is “who is best suited for the role” and the person’s availability and “nothing else”.
