Saif Ali Khan talks about B’Town Nepotism; Says “There is politics, manipulation and control”
As the issue of ‘Nepotism’ has turned into a burning debate and the outrage it has created among fans after Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, many mega-budget projects with star kids onboard have gutted the makers due to millions of dislikes and hate comments on social media platforms.
Now when many are crediting their flourishing or failed careers in the film Industry instead of being an outsider or born to a celebrity family, there are many who still are coming out to tell their share of the story what they experienced and how exactly the glamorous industry in reality works. A similar bitter reality of the starry industry has been shared by the descendent of a Nawabi and celebrity family, Saif Ali Khan.
In his recent conversation with actress Neha Dhupia in a podcast of “JioSaavn #NoFilterNeha” season five, the nawab of Bollywood shared his journey in the film industry, “I don’t think I’ve had it particularly easy, even though some people will say ‘oh, of course, you have’! But I’ve done a lot of stuff that a lot of people wouldn’t have done. I mean I’ve played the third lead in some dodgy films like ‘Surakshaa’ and ‘Ek Tha Raja’, which nobody has heard of,” Saif revealed.
“But I never thought what the hell am I doing here. I knew what I was doing there. I was trying to get paid and trying to do this job. I knew it wasn’t going anywhere and I was like ‘okay’. But it helps when you’re 25. It’s alright not to be going anywhere if you’re 25 but you don’t want to be there at 50 for sure. But a job’s a job, right?” the actor added.
Talking about the B’Town politics, Saif said, “There are stories like a film might have come or gone, usually it’s me and then once or twice somebody’s rung up and said ‘oh, I don’t know, this film that we offered you might not be offered to you anymore because there’s been some politics behind the scene’, so you’re like ‘ok wow’. So, all that has happened.”
“Earlier I made a comment in an interview saying ‘I’ve also suffered from nepotism’, I’m laughing about it. The point is, that this industry is not the Red Cross. I mean, there are all kinds of things that happen. There is politics and manipulation and control. I’ve never even been at that level where people are calling the shots. I mean, everyone is in it for themselves. They can control it if they have a certain amount for power, so they do,” Saif said.
The actor kept on sharing, “So, I have been in a situation a couple of times in my career where I’ve been offered something, it’s been done. It’s on paper, and the next day I’ve got a phone call saying, ‘it’s gone’. I’m like, ‘what do you mean it’s gone?’ They’re like ‘we can’t help it, it’s out of our hands, someone important has rung up and said, it’s got to be this way, so sorry’. The first time it happened, I couldn’t do anything about it because I was too young, and the second time they tried to do it I made a few phone calls myself and said that you can’t do this and made a big fuss. Then it came back, and my manager said ‘wow’.”
“When anything unfair happens, I don’t think it is right. That’s why I got upset with people ridiculing me for saying I have been a victim of nepotism because I’ve also worked hard. People have images in their head that you’re all privileged and you’ve got a palace and what does it even mean to you. But we’ve had our pretty dark times and our lonely struggles, every one of us has — especially in my time, I mean, Akshay Kumar would know what I’ve been through and I know what he’s been through.”
The privileged yet self-made actor, Saif Ali Khan, who was born to the veteran actress Sharmila Tagore and legendary former Indian cricket team captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, gets candid about his journey in Bollywood with immense pleasure and lots of wisdom.
“I got thrown out of my own movie so we’ve experienced politics, we’ve experienced nepotism. We’ve experienced favoritism, people changing their mind for whatever reason, getting a better offer. The vicissitudes of the industry — you know the ups and downs of things that happen and therefore, at a certain age you become a bit philosophical, you say ‘let me just be happy with what I’m doing’,” Saif added.
“But generally, it’s been a really pleasant experience and with lovely people. I think this industry is wonderful and I think it’s a meritocracy and it does, it’s very non-judgmental, you could be anything and it is one profession where, I think Jackie Shroff once said, a spot boy can be a superstar,” the actor concluded.
Meanwhile, Saif Ali Khan with his wife Kareena Kaif, has shared the news of their second child, who is on the way. The father to soon have also announced to write an autobiography.
