Bollywood actors who are successful despite nepotism
It’s no secret that Bollywood has a serious nepotism problem, with many of the biggest stars being related to other big-name actors or actresses. While this means there are plenty of great entertainers out there, it also means that there are some incredibly talented people who are being passed over simply because of whom they know. The following list focuses on those who achieved their fame and fortune despite the odds being stacked against them, and shows what it takes to succeed in an industry riddled with familial ties and favors.
Sonam Kapoor
In 2003, Kapoor made her film debut in the Telugu language film The Hero. She then starred as Padmavati in the 2005 Tamil period drama film Padmaavat directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The following year she appeared in both Fanaa and Shaadi Se Pehle, for which she was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut. Kapoor's subsequent roles have included Sita in Bajirao Mastani (2015) and Saamiya Siddiqui/Mirzya in Tera Kya Hoga Johnny (2016). For her role in the latter, Kapoor received two nominations for Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role. Other projects include Anjali Menon’s Bangalore Days (2014), Neerja (2016), Rajkumar Hirani’s biographical drama film Sanju (2018) and Vikas Bahl’s upcoming movie based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel One Indian Girl.
Fawad Khan
He is one of the few stars who's managed to make it on his own without connections or family ties. His break-through role in Khuda Kay Liye (2007) won him recognition, and he has also received acclaim for movies like Ek Thi Daayan (2013), as well as international attention for Hamid and Fawad (2014). In 2015, Khan was ranked at 8th on Forbes' annual list of Hollywood's Top 10 Actors. Khan isn't just a rising star, but one with a social conscience. He's been outspoken about how Pakistani society can change to improve lives and create opportunities for the next generation. With more than 50 million followers on Twitter and Facebook combined, Khan continues to be one of Bollywood's most admired young talents.
Varun Dhawan
Varun, however, is not a typical case of someone getting ahead because of their last name. In Varun's case, his mother - director Rohit Dhawan - backed him all the way from the beginning. He acted in her short film when he was four and she told everyone that Varun will be an actor someday.
Varun started with modeling and TV commercials at 11 before moving to movies. His first movie was Student Of The Year (2012) where he played rich boy Rohan with three other leads: Alia Bhatt, Siddharth Malhotra and Madhuri Dixit-Nene. It grossed Rs 20 crore on day one of its release and became a blockbuster hit. Varun then went on to act in Judwaa 2, Dishoom and Badrinath Ki Dulhania which were also box office successes. In 2018, he acted in three back-to-back hits: Raazi, October and Hichki. There is no question about whether or not he has talent.
Varun has been given tough challenges in both acting and singing over the years, proving that he can go toe-to-toe with top notch stars like Ranbir Kapoor. As soon as a movie goes through rough patches and starts tanking at the box office, people seem to think it was the fault of casting or production team but what they don't realize is how challenging it must be for Varun as well.
Alia Bhatt
The daughter of famous Bollywood film director Mahesh Bhatt, Alia has been acting since the age of six. Starting out with a supporting role in her father's film 'Khamoshi: The Musical', she went on to act in many TV serials, plays and films. She made her debut as an actress in Karan Johar's home production 'Student of the Year'. She won both a Filmfare Award for Best Female Debut, as well as an IIFA Award for best female newcomer. Her most recent success was playing one of two leading roles in Gauri Shinde's English-language romantic drama 'Dear Zindagi' which proved to be very popular. Now that it is looking like this might not be just a flash in the pan, her star continues to rise.
Ayushmann Khurrana
Ayushmann Khurana is a Bollywood actor and producer from Indore, India. He has been credited with breaking the nepotistic barriers in Bollywood as he made his debut in 2011 with the critically acclaimed Punjabi film Peepli Live. His success story continues through 2017 where he will be seen alongside Alia Bhatt in Gully Boy, directed by Zoya Akhtar. After auditioning for Dibakar Banerjee's Detective Byomkesh Bakshi, starring Sushant Singh Rajput, on its second day of casting callbacks, he was picked to play Feluda's assistant Jatayu in the movie adaptation of Byomkesh Bakshi novels. He is set to release three new films this year: Kaalakaandi; Lucknow Central; and Pataakha
Further proving himself as an able actress, he started playing Aishwarya Rai’s brother in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Guzaarish. Since his move to Mumbai after completing his MBA degree, he has also featured opposite Nargis Fakhri in Homi Adajania’s Finding Fanny Fernandes which premiered at 2014 Cannes Film Festival.
Sridevi's daughters Janhvi Kapoor and Khushi Kapoor
Indian actress Sridevi was a popular Bollywood actress during the 1980s and 1990s. After a hiatus, she returned to acting in 2012 with the movie English Vinglish. However, it was her last film – Mom (2017) – that has been receiving rave reviews.
Her daughter Janhvi Kapoor made her debut in 2018 with the movie Dhadak. The movie also starred Sonam Kapoor and Ishaan Khatter. She also did well with Raazi opposite actor Emraan Hashmi.
Janhvi is not just any other girl trying to make it big in an industry full of nepotism, but the daughter of an established actor. And even though there were rumors about how much pressure would be on Janhvi's shoulders as an actor because of her mother's legacy, she proved herself through Dhadak and Raazi. Janhvi will be seen next in Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle which releases later this year.