Opening up about the nepotism debate, The Archies director Zoya Akhtar recently observed that she cannot disown her father because of the connections he has made in the film industry over the years.
Zoya Akhtar’s teen musical comedy The Archies was released on Netflix, marking her first direct-to-OTT film. Penned by Ayesha Devitre Dhillon, Reema Kagti and Zoya herself, the film marked the debut of three star-kids — Agastya Nanda, Suhana Khan and Khushi Kapoor — alongside four other newcomers: Vedang Raina, Mihir Ahuja, Aditi “Dot.” Saigal and Yuvraj Menda.
Opening up about the nepotism debate, Zoya said during a chat with The Juggernaut, “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,” she pointed out.
“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,” she added.
Weighing in on the subject, Reema noted that while Zoya hailed from a family working in the film industry, she herself came from nowhere. “Yet, I made my first film before her,” she said, prompting Zoya to add that it took her seven years to mount her debut project, Luck By Chance. “There are conversations to be had about haves and have-nots, equality, and social justice. At the same time, I think having a famous parent cannot be the sole determinant for you to get a job or the reason for you to be denied a job if you deserve it,” Reema observed.
“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,” Zoya noted.