Samantha Akkineni feels nepotism 'surely exists' in the Telugu film industry

Powerhouse performer Samantha Akkineni is arguably one of the biggest and most bankable stars in the Telugu film industry. She enjoys an impressive fan following due to her outspoken nature and striking screen presence.

During an interview with Film Companion, the actress opened on the issue of nepotism in the Telugu film industry and said that it does exist. The Janatha Garage star, however, made it clear that no one really 'has it easy' in Tollywood. She went on to add that that star kids might have a tougher battle to fight as everyone has high expectations from them.

"Nepotism surely exists. But, when I fall, only my parents know. And when it happens to a star kid, it is disappointing to an entire State," she added.

Also read: Samantha Akkineni answers a question about her rumoured pregnancy

The issue of nepotism was originally highlighted by actress Kangana Ranaut on Koffee With Karan. The Queen star had alleged that the My Name Is Khan director usually works with star kids, ignoring 'outsiders'.

The issue recently resurfaced when actor Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14. A section of the Twitterverse claimed that Bollywood biggies had tried to 'sabotage' his career as a self-made star, The likes of Kangana, Tiger Shroff and Manoj Bajpayee weighed in on the matter., adding a new dimension to the debate. The Mahesh Bhatt-directed Sadak 2, starring Alia Bhatt and Sanjay Dutt, faced backlash for being a 'product of nepotism' and this ruffled a few feathers. SSR's brother-in-law launched the nepometer to help fans identify and support films featuring 'outsiders'.

Coming back to Sam, she was last seen in the Dil Raju-backed Jaanu that did not do well at the box office. The film, a remake of Vijay Sethupathi and Trisha's 96, featured the 'Akkineni bahu' as the leading lady opposite Sharwanad and revolved around the relationship between two school sweethearts.

Samantha will soon be seen in Amazon Prime Video's The Family Man 2, which marks her digital debut.