Bollywood director Zoya Akhtar opened up on the nepotism debate surrounding her film ‘The Archies‘ after the film and its cast found themselves on the receiving end of merciless trolling.
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It is pertinent to mention ‘The Archies‘ was panned for being a ‘Nepo-Fest’. Augustya Nanda, who plays Archie Andrews, is the grandson of star couple Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Bachchan. Khushi Kapoor – who plays Betty Cooper – is the daughter of Sridevi and Boney Kapoor.
Suhana Khan, who essays Veronica Lodge, is the daughter of Shah Rukh Khan.
Zoya Akhtar believes the criticism of the film’s casting was ‘banal’ as no one can dictate to her what to do with her own money.
“I think the debate is about haves and have-nots,” she said. “It is about privilege, access, and social capital. I completely understand having anger or frustration at the fact that you do not have the access some people get so easily. That is a conversation to be had.
“Everyone needs to have the same kind of education, job opportunities, et al. But when you turn around and say Suhana Khan shouldn’t be in my film, it’s banal because it’s not going to change your life whether she’s in my film or not. You have to talk about what is going to change your life.”
She added, “My
dad (Javed Akhtar) came from nowhere and made a life for himself. I was born and bred in the industry, and I have every right to follow whatever I want to do. As part of his network and what he made, I know those people. What am I going to do, disown my dad because I want to be a filmmaker? Are you saying I can’t choose my profession? It makes no sense.”
Related – Zoya Akhtar admits being a ‘little nervous’ for ‘The Archies‘
Zoya Akhtar added that nepotism would have happened if she had taken public money or someone else’s money and favoured her friends and family.
“Nepotism cannot be when I take my own money! Who are you to tell me what to do with my money? It’s my money! If tomorrow I want to spend my money on my niece, it’s my problem! At the end of the day, if a director or an actor gets another job, it is solely on the audience. They decide if they want to see them or not,” she added.
‘The Archies‘ follows Archie Andrews and his gang navigating romance, friendship and the future of Riverdale as developers threaten to destroy a beloved park.
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