'The Archies' Casting Director Says Khushi Kapoor-Suhana Khan Weren't Cast Because They're Star Kids

Three-star kids—Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, and Agastya Nanda — are all starting their film careers with Zoya Akhtar’s Netflix movie "The Archies".

Suhana Khan and Khushi Kapoor, daughters of superstar Shah Rukh Khan and late Bollywood actor Sridevi, and Agastya Nanda, the grandson of megastar Amitabh Bachchan, are among the seven actors who will feature in the live-action musical film.?

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The other four actors are "Super 30" star Mihir Ahuja, Dot, Yuvraj Menda and Vedang Raina.

Zoya Akhtar introduced the film's actors in May after she took to Instagram and shared a teaser video, unveiling the film's cast in the 1960s.

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"Ain’t nothing like old school. Grab your gang ’cause the Archies are coming soon on @netflix_in!" she wrote in the caption.

The filmmaker also unveiled the official poster of the film in another post, writing,?

"Get ready to take a trip down memory lane ’cause The Archies is coming soon only on @netflix_in" Netflix has partnered with Archie Comics for the project, which Akhtar and her longtime collaborator Reema Kagti are producing under their banner Tiger Baby.

On social media, the three-star kids received congratulatory messages from their family members.

Amitabh Bachchan, the father of Agastya Nanda’s mother, Shweta Bachchan-Nanda, tweeted,

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"Another SONrise .. my GrandSON .. all the blessings Agastya .. love you." Suhana Khan’s mother, Gauri Khan, shared the film’s teaser on Instagram and rooted for all seven actors.

The Archies

"Congratulations… all the best to all the amazing kids and team of #TheArchies . And who better than @zoieakhtar to guide them through this journey!! You did it @suhanakhan2" Bollywood actor Janhvi Kapoor shared a heartfelt message for her younger sibling Khushi Kapoor.

Janhvi praised the newcomers for working tirelessly for months to create "this world, find these characters start living this journey".

"And my sister!!! @khushi05k I can’t wait for the world to see how beautiful you are inside and out. Can’t wait to see you shine," she wrote.

Their father, producer father Boney Kapoor, posted, "Great bunch of youthful actors, sky is the limit for all of you working on this iconic venture, you cud not have asked for a better start to your careers, Zoya & her team are a dream to work, they settle for nothing less than perfect".?

Well, so began the nepotism debate.?

The discussion surrounding nepotism has intensified ahead of the release of Zoya Akhtar's Indian adaptation of the Archie Comics.

Nandini Shrikant, the casting director of The Archies, reacts to the backlash that came their way after 'The Archies' was announced.?

Talking to Quint, casting director Nandini Shrikent said,

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"Any industry you look at, the next generation takes over. If someone fits the role, they deserve the opportunity. Because they fit the role. It’s not like we’ve just gone and cast someone because they’re a star kid. Each one is very specifically super-perfect for the role they’ve been cast in. And we tested many people for the roles."

"The Archies" will be released on Netflix in 2023.

(With PTI inputs)

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