Did not let nepotism stand in my way: Vidya Balan

Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput ended his life on June 14, leaving movie buffs in a state of shock. Following his death, several movie buffs accused Bollywood biggies of sabotaging the self-made hero’s career by ridiculing him for being an ‘outsider’. Some fans even trolled the likes of Sonam Kapoor and Sonakshi Sinha, calling them ‘products of nepotism’. The likes of Kangana Ranaut and Manoj Bajpayee too weighed in on the issue, adding a new layer to the ‘insider vs outsider’ debate.

Powerhouse performer Vidya Balan recently reacted to the controversy and acknowledged that nepotism does exist in Bollywood. While speaking to Cinema Express, the NTR Kathanayakudu actress said that she faced several ups and downs in her career but never gave up. She added that she kept going despite being an outsider and implied that nepotism cannot get in the way of true talent.

Also Read: ‘Shakuntala Devi’ trailer: A treat for Vidya Balan fans

Sushant, who began his acting career with the TV industry, made his big screen debut with the sleeper hit Kai Po Che.

He went on to act in Shuddh Desi Romance, Dibakar Banerjee’s Detective Byomkesh Bakshy and the Raju Hirani-helmed PK. It was, however, the highly ambitious MS Dhoni that established him as a household name. The film, which was released in multiple languages, revolved around the personal and professional struggles of former Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and emerged as a runaway hit at the box office.

‘Anni’, however, failed to keep the momentum going as the much-hyped Raabta (co-starring Kriti Sanon) did not do as well as expected. He soon bounced back with the critically-acclaimed Sonchiriya and the sleeper hit Chhichhore (co-starring top actress Shraddha Kapoor). The Karan Johar-backed Drive was released directly on Netflix and failed to make an impact.

Sushant’s last film Dil Bechara, an adaptation of the popular novel The Fault In Our Stars, is slated to premiere on Hotstar on July 24. The romantic-drama was originally supposed to release in theatres, which did not happen due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Coming back to Vidya, she is gearing up for the release of Shakuntala Devi, which is based on the life of the iconic mathematician of the same name