Sushant, Kangana, Irrfan: 10 'outsiders' who defeated nepotism to become successful

Nepotism has been a constant feature of the film industry since only one family, the Kapoors, were associated with showbiz. Starting with Prithviraj Kapoor to Ranbir Kapoor, the family continues to give actors to the film industry, but more and more film families have come to the fore in recent years, and many ‘launchpads’ for their kids have been announced. However, many from non-film families have also made a mark in the industry despite nepotism, right from the likes of Meena Kumari, Dilip Kumar, Sridevi, Amitabh Bachchan, Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Dharmendra, Madhuri Dixit, Govinda, Anupam Kher, Naseeruddin Shah and more. 

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With ‘nepotism’ becoming a  talking point in the film industry only in recent years and becoming a 'burning issue' once again after Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, let’s take a look at those who showed nepotism is not unbeatable in recent years .

1. Akshay Kumar 

Akshay Kumar today is considered not just among the highest-paid actors of the India film industry, but even international publications list him in the highest-earning artists around the world. The journey of the ‘Khiladi’ is commendable as he had also been a chef and a waiter in Thailand where he undertook martial arts training before venturing into the film industry. From 14 flops in a row at one point, almost writting him off, Akshay is enjoying a golden run at the box office, with his last flop coming way back in 2015.

2. Kangana Ranaut 

One National Award is considered a big achievement, and here there is one with three in her kitty, Kangana Ranaut. The actor was studying to be a doctor in Manali, before fighting with her family to come to Mumbai to establish herself in the industry. Anurag Basu gave her a chance with Gangster, and the rest is history. The Manikarnika star had numerous ups and downs in the career, but delivered a blockbuster with Tanu Weds Manu Returns, apart from award-winning performances in Fashion, Queen and many other films. When a successful artist like Kangna is calling out nepotism and made it a household name, one can imagine the difficulty the lesser-known names have to go through.

3. Priyanka Chopra

Priyanka Chopra today is considered among the names who made India proud on a global level, not just once. After becoming only the fourth Indian to bag the Miss World title, Priyanka went on to become a top star in Bollywood, delivering a blend of blockbustrs like Agneepath, Krrish 3, and critically acclaimed performances in films like Aitraaz, Fashion, Mary Kom and more. She took it forward by even working in international projects like Quantico and Baywatch, and her recent signing of a deal with Amazon Studios and Matrix 4 showcased that she has been a global star.

4.  Irrfan Khan 

Not many Indian actors have made a mark in Hollywood, and Irrfan Khan is one of them. The actor, who passed away earlier this year, had started his career with a bit role in Mira Nair’s Oscar-nominated Salaam Bombay. However, it was only 15 years that with films like Maqbool, Haasil, he established his mark, and went on to work in critically acclaimed films like Life… In a Metro, The Namesake, Paan Singh Tomar, Piku, Talwar, Hindi Medium. He also featured in Hollywood blockbusters like Slumdog Millionaire.The Amazing Sprider-Man, Jurassic World and more, apart from winning a National Award.

5. Deepika Padukone

Though from a well-known family, with father Prakash Padukone a star badminton champion, Deepika Padukone had her fair struggle in Bollywood before making it big. Starting with modelling assignments and music videos like Himesh Reshammiya’s Naam Hai Tera, she got her big break with Om Shanti Om. After delivering critically acclaimd performances in films like Piku, Tamasha, Bajirao Mastani, she even starred opposite Vin Diesel in xXx: Return of Xander Cage.

6. Vidya Balan

Not many female names have carried a film ‘on their shoulders’, but Vidya Balan has been credited with that. Starting off with advertisements and the bespectacled character in Hum Paanch, Vidya made an instant  impact with Parineeta. She went on to deliver hits as a solo lead in films like Kahaani, The Dirty Picture and more.

7. Ayushmann Khurrana

Ayushmann Khurrana had started his career by participating in the reality show, Roadies, where he was the winner. The actor got a break with Shoojit Sircar’s Vicky Donor and became a household name. Today, he is considered a bankable name with back-to-back hits, that includes critically acclaimed vetures like Andhadhun and commercial hits like Dream Girl.

8 Rajkummar Rao   

Rajkummar Rao made his debut with Dibakar Banerjee’s risque Love Sex Aur Dhokha in 2008. In the next few years, he appeared in numerous small roles like Talaash, before his work in films like Shahid, Kai Po Che, Trapped and more earned him intense critical acclaim. He also turned a ‘commerical hero’ of sorts after delivering a 100-crore blockbuster with Stree.

9. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan

Another name to make her foray into the world of Bollywood after becoming a Miss World is Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. The tag ‘most beautiful woman in the world’ was associated with her initially, before she showcased that she can act too with films like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas and more. Be it Bengali film Chokher Bali or Hollywood ventures like Pink Panther and Mistress of Spice, Aishwarya’s talents were not restricted just to India.

10. Sushant Singh Rajput

Sushant Singh Rajput’s death once again brought the spotlight on the how so-called ‘outsiders’ are allegedly ‘boycotted.’ However, in his brief career, he showcased that he was one of the most successful names without a godfather The actor took the TV route to venture into films by starring in the hit show Pavitra Rishta. He bagged his debut with Kai Po Che and become a popular face immediately. Soon after he featured in hit films like PK, and earned critical acclaim for Detective Byomkesh Bakshy. However, the turnin point was with the film MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, that became his first Rs 100 crore hit. Hit film Kedarnath, a critically acclaimed act in Sonchiriya, and Chhichhore, which turned out to be a blockbuster were some of the other highlight of his career. s   

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