Shekhar Kapur, Apurva Asrani React on R Balki’s Statement ‘Find me Better Actor Than Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor’

Shekhar Kapur, Apurva Asrani's reaction on R Balki’s statement favoring nepotism. Balki had said, ‘Find me Better Actor Than Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor, Then I'll Argue'.

Actor Sushant Singh Rajput Rajput’s death has initiated a wide discussion on nepotism in the Bollywood industry. The latest one to talk on the hyped topic is Paa director R Balki. In an interview with Hindustan Times, the filmmaker acknowledged that star kids have an advantage and disadvantage when it comes to their first time on screen. He defended star kids and quickly supported actors like Ranbir Kapoor or Alia Bhatt, saying they have unmatched talent. He told the portal, “The question is do they (star kids) have an unfair or bigger advantage? Yes, there are pros and cons. But I’d ask one simple question: Find me a better actor than Alia (Bhatt) or Ranbir (Kapoor), and we’ll argue. It’s unfair on these few people who’re probably some of the finest actors”.

To this, veteran filmmaker Shekhar Kapur reacted and said, “Have huge respect for you, Balki. But i just saw ‘Kai Po Che’ again last night. Three new young actors at that time. And stunning believable performances by each,” tweeted Kapur on Friday from his verified account.

Scriptwriter and film editor Apurva Asrani also responded to R Balki’s interview. He tweeted, “Manoj Bajpayee, Rajkummar Rao, Vicky Kaushal, Ayushmann, Kangana Ranaut, Priyanka Chopra, Taapsee Pannu, Vidya Balan, Richa Chaddha. Many others too if we look beyond A list film families, and take a few chances. I love Ranbir & Alia, but please, they aren’t the only good actors”.

“Pankaj Tripathi, Gajraj Rao, Amit Sadh, Jaideep Ahlawat, Rasika Dugal, Swara Bhaskar, Shweta Tripathi, Sanjay Mishra, Neena Gupta, Divya Dutta, Manav Kaul, Nawazuddin, Jeetu. My god, I could go on and on about the wonderful talents we have. Stop fussing over the same 3-4 names now!” Asrani, who scripted the critically-acclaimed “Aligarh” wrote in a separate tweet.