'Industry Needs Refurbishing': Abhay Deol Speaks Up On Nepotism, Says Uncle Dharmendra Was Also 'Outsider'

Many actors and singers have finally opened up against Nepotism in Bollywood after Sushant Singh Rajput’s suicide by sharing their experiences with ‘nepotism’.

New Delhi: The word ‘Nepotism’ has turned many heads since the time Kangana Ranaut alleged Karan Johar to be the ‘flag-bearer of nepotism’ on the latter’s talk show. While many celebrities have refrained themselves from speaking on the topic, some of the actors are now opening up about their experiences with nepotism. One of such an actor is Abhay Deol who says that there are more layers to it as, ‘nepotism’ is just the tip of the iceberg and suggests a cultural reformation.



After Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, Abhay Deol took to his Instagram account and shared an extended note on how he has also been demoted as an actor and how the industry lobbies against outsiders. The actor also feels happy that finally the active debate on nepotism has been thrown into the light and many actors are also coming forward to voice against the prevailing culture of ‘nepotism’ in Bollywood. He terms it as ‘the watershed moment’ for them.

The Dev D actor also added that nepotism exists everywhere in our culture including politics, business and films and this cultural pandemonium needs to break.

Abhay Deol started his career under Dharmendra’s Vijayta Films in the 2005 Imtiaz Ali ‘Socha Na Tha’ and has always been known for his artistic style of choosing cinema. Recently, the actor shared a collage of him and his uncle Dharmendra on Instagram.



Abhay touches on the fact of Dharmendra being an outsider in Bollywood and how his uncle inspired him to find his own path in the film industry. The caption starts with, “My uncle, whom I affectionately call dad, was an outsider who made it big in the film industry. I’m glad there is an active debate on the practices behind the scenes. Nepotism is just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve only ever made one film with my family, my 1st, and I’m grateful to be blessed and have that privileged. I’ve gone that extra mile in my career to make my own path, something that dad always encouraged. For me he was the inspiration".

He further added, “Nepotism is prevalent everywhere in our culture, be it in politics, business, or film. I was well aware of it and it pushed me to take chances with new directors and producers throughout my career. That is how I was able to make movies that were considered “out of the box.” I’m glad some of those artists and films went on to have tremendous success.

While it plays a part in every country, nepotism has taken on another dimension here in India. I suspect caste plays a major role in it being more pronounced here than in other parts of the world. After all, it is “jati” that dictates that a son carry on the work of his father, while the daughter is expected to marry and be a housewife.”

The Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara actor winded up by suggesting equal opportunities in every field to make a change.

He wrote. “If we are serious about making changes for the better, then focusing on only one aspect, one industry, while ignoring the many others, will be incomplete and possibly counter productive. We need a cultural evolution. After all, where do our filmmakers, politicians and businessmen come from? They are people just like everyone. They grow up within the same system as everybody else. They are a reflection of their culture. Talent everywhere deserves a chance to shine in his or her medium. As we have learnt over the past few weeks, there are several ways in which an artist is either uplifted to success, or beaten down to failure. I’m glad more actors are coming out today and speaking of their experiences. I’ve been vocal about mine for years now, but as a lone voice I could only do so much. It’s easy to smear one artist for speaking out, and I have been at the receiving end from time to time. But as a group, a collective, that becomes difficult. Maybe now is our watershed moment.”