Ibrahim Ali Khan and Khushi Kapoor starrer ‘Nadaaniyaan’ released on OTT and the film has been facing some severe backlash. The internet is also filled with trolling and harsh comments towards Saif Ali Khan’s son Ibrahim who made his debut. Meanwhile, Khushi is criticised for her acting despite the fact that this is her third film. With this kind of backlash, the future of Hindi cinema is worrisome. We hardly have any stars after industry kids like Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt or Varun Dhawan joined the movies. ETimes discusses with some industry insiders – if the audience is being more harsh to these actors just because they are star kids? Are they bearing the brunt of being star kids? Or is there a genuine problem or lack of talent? Here’s what people have to say!
The problem
Film-maker Hansal Mehta had recently written a long post where he listed some new actors – both male and female – thus concluding that Hindi cinema is going through a tough time and the newer bunch of actors can bring about a huge change. When asked about his opinion on the criticism to ‘Nadaaniyan‘ and the perception towards star-kids, Hansal Mehta told ETimes, “I do feel that people are being very harsh. What is sad is that, have we checked for the preparedness of these children before they have got their break? The kind of comments that people are passing are in terrible taste. I’m sure it must be traumatising for the young people. But we forget that their parents at one time, a lot of their parents at one time made very awkward beginnings too. They also had awkward debuts. It’s just that they were just not so much in the public eye then, as people are now, due to social media.”
He further added, “So there’s a lack of basic manners in the way people have reacted to the debut. But having said that, I also feel that people who ultimately are commissioning a film, producing, directing a film, should check for the preparedness of your actors and their crew. You cannot just assume that somebody will be good because they come from a certain lineage. So, in that sense, it is even unfair to launch them without really giving them a false sense of entitlement. That entitlement should come from, I think, preparedness.”
The larger issue
While it cannot be denied that people are more harsh towards star-kids amidst this whole nepotism debate, there are several larger issues which need to be spoken about. It has got to do with the whole ecosystem and people who launch these star-kids. Moreover, Mehta suggests that people who are advising these star-kids are making them fall into the trappings of the glam world, rather than the craft itself. The ‘Citylights’ director says, “I approached one of these children for a film. And it was a slightly unusual launch vehicle. But the people around them, their advisors felt that he should be doing something conventional, that he should be walking high speed, he should have these songs, he should have all that. The problem is that they have advisors who are not living in the times that we are in.”
He added, “They want to be launched by some big banner, who might be bankrupt with ideas. They want that big banner, then they want a big daddy to be advising them all the time. feel sad when I see them being, you know, ridiculed by people. And my only advice to them is to keep their head down, focus on their work. The moment they perform well in something, no matter how well or badly done at the box office, they will be respected. Their first target should be to get respect with their work.”
The right training and approach
As Hansal Mehta pointed out that film-makers and banners who launch these star-kids must check how prepared they are, one notices how there are many newcomers who have won hearts even with their first movie. One saw how Pratibha Ranta and Nitanshi Goel were loved in their debut film ‘Laapataa Ladies’. Meanwhile, Hansal Mehta also launched Patralekha in ‘Citylights’ and Zahan Kapoor in ‘Faraaz’. He recalled how prepared they were. He said, “Patralekha accompanied us on recce. She did workshops for her performance and we continued shooting with her until we realised that she was getting it right. We had to support, if there’s somebody new, you have to support that person through the debut. Zahan Kapoor comes from a background that supports theatre, he has grown around theatre. He was a new actor. And we did nearly six months of workshops to get things right. Apart from him there were 4 other new actors in the film. Even Aditya Rawal was just one film old that time.”
For those not in the know, Zahan Kapoor is Shashi Kapoor’s grandson and Aditya Rawal is Paresh Rawal’s son.
However, the film-maker admits to the lesson he learnt from a film he made with newcomers. “I also made a film in 2002 called ‘Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai?’. It was a sex comedy. And it launched eight-nine newcomers. For me it was a lesson. The newcomers were completely thrashed in that. The film was thrashed, so were the newcomers, They were not star kids but got completely trashed. I think we got into the film without really preparing enough and it was a lesson for me.”
The need for change
He opined further, “I think the important thing is that these kids have to be allowed to try what is relevant to their times. They have to be allowed to experiment with what they find a relatability and comfort with. They have to be allowed the possibility of failing. You watch international cinema, you travel around the world, you are exposed to the arts. But when you make a choice for yourself, it is the most dumbed down piece of work. Your artistic choices are not related to your artistic sensibilities. I’ve spent time with some of these kids who have been launched. I really enjoyed speaking to them. Unfortunately, it does not translate in the choices. Unfortunately, they are attracted to the trappings of this business than the craft itself.”
Kunal Shah says that more attention needs to be paid to the heart of movie-making which is righting, rather than running behind stars and their tantrums. He said, “More and more writers and filmmakers are coming out in open and saying that every producer wants a safe film or a safe bet. OTT platform wants a bigger name attached to their project. Nobody has the time to read scripts. Nobody is actually paying attention to the actual core or heart of the of the writing. I’m sure the time will come when people understand the importance of a well-written script and the importance of writers and and technicians. And that’s I think that’s where the change will come.”
He added, “We need more filmmakers, directors, producers who would probably back this new talent and kind of invest their money on them and make them stars rather than running after the stars. The amount of energy, time and money is being spent to kind of just chase these actors who have become much bigger than they actually deserve to be and years are being spent to just kind of get in meeting with them, to get approval from them, the agencies have become horrible to deal with and this whole cycle is really frustrating and I know I can feel because there are so many films we talk about, about setting them up, about casting for them and we just end up only running after the agencies, actors because they don’t want to read, because they don’t want to meet. In the first place they become stars by working with these fresher directors and newer ideas and now they don’t even want to consider them.”
Wankhede said, “It’s crucial for the projects to be designed in a manner that allows these young stars to genuinely showcase their talents. Rather than relying solely on their lineage or star power, the focus should shift to their abilities and the potential they bring to the screen. By creating roles that challenge them and allow for artistic expression, we can help them break free from the shadow of their famous parents and establish their own identities in the industry.”
