Ahaan Panday, Ibrahim Ali Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Junaid Khan: Kangana Ranaut Was Right, When Will 'Nepotistic' Bollywood Learn?

The latest debutant in Bollywood is Ahaan Panday. Yash Raj Films (YRF) announced that the actor will essay the lead role in Mohit Suri's directorial Saiyaara. The film will hit the big screens on July 18, 2025. However, the announcement did not sit well with social media users. Netizens pointed out that the star kids making debuts in the Hindi film industry is the last thing Bollywood needs when it is already facing a slump. Social media users have also noted all star kids who have debuted recently have failed to impress with their performance. This has reignited the nepotism debate surrounding nepotism.

Nepotism debate back after Saiyaara announcement 

Ahaan Panday's debut with Saiyaara has sparked concern among netizens. Some have alleged that despite having no prior experience of acting, Ananya Panday's cousin has landed a pivotal role with one of the industry's biggest production houses. Others tagged Kangana Ranaut and admitted that she was right in flagging nepotism as a big issue in the industry. Cine-goers also stated that at a time when the audience is rejecting mediocre performance from big actors like Salman Khan's Sikandar, it is unfair to launch starkids in big projects.

This has also sparked debate around the starkids getting roles in movies despite average performance. Most recently, Saif Ali Khan's son Ibrahim Ali Khan and Sridevi's daughter Khushi Kapoor were subjected to trolling for their subpar performance in Nadaaniyan. Despite this, both actors have a decent lineup of movies in their kitty. Aamir Khan's son Junaid was also called out for his below-average acting in Loveyaapa. Suhana Khan, Janhvi Kapoor, Ananya Panday, Sara Ali Khan and Veer Pahariya are all actors who come from insider families and have secured roles with reputed filmmakers in big-budget films. However, most of their films have failed to deliver a satisfactory performance. Amid this, Ahaan Panday's launch by YRF has been dubbed as ‘worrisome’ by netizens. Some argue that it would be fresh talent of struggling actors who might possess better acting skills but lose out on opportunities due to a lack of nepotistic connections.

Despite the massive backlash against nepotism, select filmmakers and production houses have been giving opportunities to ‘insiders’ one after the other. Whether the audience will accept the products of nepotism will only be determined when the films are released.