The big nepotism debate: Who said what about the Kangana- Karan battle

Actor Kangana Ranaut and filmmaker Karan Johar had a heated exchange of words, though at different platforms. While Kangana attacked Karan on his chat show, calling him the “flag-bearer of nepotism” someone who is “snooty and completely intolerant to outsiders” and accused him of running a “movie mafia”, Karan hit back at the Queen actor while talking at the London School of Economics and said, “She was my guest and I had to hear what she had to say. She has a right to have an opinion. When she says ‘Flag bearer of Nepotism’, I just want to say to her, I am glad she knows what it all means. I don’t think she has understood the entire meaning of the term.”

Clearly miffed with Kangana’s stark remarks, Karan even said that “if she finds the Bollywood industry so bad, she might as well leave it.” The war of words seems to have created a stir in the film industry with everyone having a strong viewpoint to share.

Aamir Khan: I think it’s a normal human tendecy to try and help people who you love and care for. It doesn’t have to be someone who is part of your family, it could be someone you care for. It’s a very natural emotion. I try to make sure that in my work, I don’t let it interfere. As a creative person, I am responsible to my audience and I give huge importance to that. I try not to bring in emotions in my work.

Alia Bhatt: I think a star kid can get that first film due to nepotism. But to constantly get films just because you belong to a filmi family, is not possible. I don’t want to take any names, but there have been many examples of sons and daughters of lineage who have come and gone without achieving anything. What about that? Eventually, people come to see you as an actor and not because your family is famous, and you can’t fool them. I am aware people do struggle to make a mark in the industry, but it’s not right to blame nepotism. I didn’t plan my birth in the Bhatt family. I can’t change that and today, I am successful not just because my family is famous, but also because I have worked hard and you can’t take it away from me.

Swara Bhaskar: I think more than nepotistic, Bollywood operates on relationships. It’s not a sarkari organisation holding exams where you get through on the basis of merit. It’s feudal in its nature where certain people have the power to make casting calls hence relationships matter. Of course it matters if you are a star child. But look at Shah Rukh Khan, he is the biggest star and he is an outsider. So is Deepika (Padukone), Priyanka Chopra and Kangana. Talent doesn’t remain hidden in the industry.

Sonam Kapoor: Every morning I wake up and it’s great bathroom reading. It’s mudslinging of the worst kind. I don’t know Kangana. I know Karan very well. I find Kangana very entertaining and that’s about it. I don’t want to comment on something that looks opportunistic, honestly.