With The Archies, Let's Come To Terms With Nepotism

Hindi Cinema's acclaimed generational chronicler, Zoya Akhtar is coming up with a filmographic depiction of one of the most beloved comics of all time: The Archies. Set to be released on Netflix, the film stars Suhana Khan, Vedang Raina, Khushi Kapoor, Agastya Nanda, Mihir Ahuja and Aditi Dot.

In a recent interview, Akhtar questioned why the media only focused on the names of the cast who belong to Hindi Cinema's film families -- the debutants, Suhana Khan (Shah Rukh Khan's daughter), Agastya Nanda (Amitabh Bachchan's grandson) and Khushi Kapoor (Sridevi's daughter) -- when the first poster of The Archies was released.

The 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' director said that the media 'took away' the moment of actors who do not belong to the film families, namely Vedang Raina, Mihir Ahuja and Aditi Dot. Akhtar accused the media of only reporting on the actors whose families have backgrounds in Hindi Cinema.

The second or third-generation actors in The Archies have an edge going forward. Some of them already have millions of followers on social media. Their personal brand is rooted in the legacy of their families. The media coverage is partly associated with that legacy. The actors in The Archies without that legacy just have their blood, sweat and skills to rely on with the least room for mistakes.

Take Mihir Ahuja for instance. The actor last seen as Dhruv Jauhari in 'Made in Heaven' will play Jughead Jones in The Archies. Ahuja has a rich filmography, but the media discourse has unfairly lacked focus on him playing Jughead Jones in The Archies. Isn't this how life is? The ones with privilege and pedigree always taking the spotlight? The agonising wait through hustle is the only choice left for the ones without that privilege.

In any unequal society, there will always be individuals of privilege who may or may not possess as much talent. There will also be individuals without that privilege racing to ace through the stairs of success. While coexisting, these inequalities will prevail (unfairly so).

The ambitious chaps of the first generation have to put in the work. They have to confront these inequalities and unfair attributes of the world due to flamboyance of privilege and nepotism. You can either whine about these inequalities or just put in the work yourself to ace the game in a way that your work does not go unnoticed. There is no other way around.