'Nepotism Is When I Take Public Money', 4 Things Zoya Akhtar Said In Defense Of The Archies

Now that the much-awaited film The Archies has finally made its way to our screens, it has sparked conversations and debates in full swing.

On one hand when Irrfan Khan¡¯s son Babil made his presence felt in The Railway Men, audiences were quick to ignore that fact that he is also a product of nepotism. On the other hand, SRK's daughter Suhana, Boney Kapoor¡¯s daughter Khushi and Amitabh Bachchan¡¯s grandson Agastya Nanda¡¯s outings in The Archies haven¡¯t incited an overall positive response.

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Comparisons are being drawn at a rapid pace, some not-so-pleasant comments are being made questioning the capabilities of the artists involved and most importantly, the down side of nepotism is being widely discussed. The fact remains that The Archies is not filmmaker Zoya Akhtar¡¯s best work.

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As for the debate, it¡¯s a known fact that artists outside of the industry have to face a lot of struggles to make it big in showbiz.

However, the other side of the story also has a perspective to take away - they might have privilege in the form of access and connections but that doesn¡¯t guarantee success and acceptance.

Zoya Akhtar finds herself in the middle of this raging storm as the star kids that she has launched with her film have failed to hit the bull¡¯s eye. The reactions are mixed with a majority of them leaning towards the unfavourable side.

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She has been giving interviews where these topics are being brought up. Here are Zoya¡¯s insights:

¡°Suhana Khan being in my film doesn¡¯t change anyone¡¯s life¡±

In an interview with Juggernaut and Netflix, she was asked about her stance on nepotism or whether she is guilty of promoting the same, she said, "I think it (the debate) 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.¡±

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Are You Saying I Can¡¯t Choose My Profession, Asks Zoya Akhtar

Zoya firmly believes that she has every right to follow whatever she wants. She said, ¡°My dad 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. The actual problem is something else, and this is just like beating a dead horse¡­ it¡¯s not going to do anything. If every kid born into the film industry never worked in cinema, it¡¯s still not going to change your life.¡±

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¡°Who are you to tell me what to do with my money?¡±

She further explained her way of looking at nepotism; ¡°Nepotism is when I take public money or someone else¡¯s money and favour my 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 audiences. Viewers decide if they want to see them or not,¡± the filmmaker concluded.

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It took me seven years to get a movie made, says Zoya

In another interview with India Today, she went on to share how her filmmaking journey has panned out among other things.

¡°For me it¡¯s a very weird position. It took me seven years to get a movie made and i¡¯m born in the lap of the industry. I had access to everybody but nobody did my film. My friends that came from outside - Reema Kagti, Ruchi Narayan, Anurag Kashayap - everyone made a movie before me. Everybody¡¯s journey is different. I'm from the industry. It took me a really long time.

For someone who is from outside, it happens for them with a certain amount of struggle. You take an Aishwarya Rai or A Deepika Padukone - they got a break like this because they are gorgeous. That¡¯s a genetic advantage, should they be abusing it. I mean that¡¯s not merit, the way they look got them a break because they looked great. How do you quantify it?"

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"If I am a barber, and I have a shop, am I going to leave it to my son or am I going to leave it to the best barber in the city? My son may inherit it but he has to cut hair properly or else he¡¯s going to shut shop. That's the bottom line,¡± she concluded.

Apart from Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor and Agastya Nanda, The Archies also features non-star kids making their debut which includes Mihir Ahuja, Vedang Raina, Yuvraj Menda, and Dot.

The film was released on Netflix on December 7.

(To read more such stories related to movies and shows released on OTTs, keep reading Indiatimes BINGE)