Opinion

Why nepotism is tough on many nepos too

In many fields they have to strive far harder in order to be taken seriously by critics and peers alike

Reshmi Dasgupta December 19, 2023 12:13:35 IST

Bollywood director Zoya Akhtar with the cast of their upcoming Netflix movie 'The Archies', after the wrap of the movie's shooting. PTI

It is good that The Archies has triggered a discourse on nepotism even if it was unintended. When there are three scions of famous ‘filmi’ families making their cinematic debut in the cast, such an outcome should not have been unforeseen either. At least now nepos (in this film and elsewhere) are realising how hard it is to succeed when public opinion is ranged against their easy ride to success. And the public has realised nepotism cannot be simply wished away.

No one quibbles about businesses being handed down from parents to children, but nepotism in other sectors tend to irk, particularly in politics and cinema, both of which depend on public approbation for success. Yet, given that nepotism means the act of people placing and promoting close relatives in spheres where they exercise influence, can anyone deny that it is (and has been) there in almost every lucrative occupation, from plumbing to painting?

Prevalence cannot be a justification for nepotism, of course. But the very fact that it is indeed everywhere does indicate that it has to be weathered and managed; criticising the practice will not deter nepotists from doing what they want to do. Pillorying the perpetrators and beneficiaries of nepotism beyond a point could actually gain them sympathy in some quarters! And if nepos are talented—as some can be—the argument against their head start loses impact.

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It is also true, though, that all the nepotism in the world cannot ensure success. Genes are passed down but talent—like beauty—is not inevitable. Famous models like Cindy Crawford, Kate Moss and Jerry Hall have doppelganger daughters who have also made it big on the ramp, but nepo models are still a minority in the beauty business abroad. The biggest beauty pageants are also hardly ever won by nepo babies although some do bag minor titles.

Interestingly, brilliant scientists, writers, lawyers, singers, chess players etc are most often the offspring of ordinary if not mediocre people. But nepo babies of celebrated artists and outstanding sportspeople rarely achieve similar greatness though their famous parents may be able to get them publicity and pole position at the outset. Most importantly, even the most blatant nepotism cannot guarantee luck, which is often the deciding factor when opportunity is equal.

In politics and cinema, nepotism has its obvious drawbacks. Children being thrust into the ‘family profession’ despite obvious lack of aptitude is painful for all concerned. The public is saddled with personalities instantly dubbed ‘leaders’ or ‘stars’ by virtue of genealogy rather than ability and the nepos themselves are probably acutely aware of their own shortcomings but still have to bear the huge burden of expectation created by their parents’ talent and success.

Nepotism starts becoming dangerous once the percentage of nepos rises above the danger mark. A quick rundown of their prevalence in any profession or arena is enough to gauge the tipping point. Right now, for instance, barring the BJP, the Communist parties and AAP, practically every political party is run and/or headed by a single family or clan. Even the Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati has succumbed to nepotism by naming her nephew as her successor.

A century ago, there was the Grand Old Party and a few others, all of whom had leaders from diverse backgrounds, most of them not related to each other. But many of these self-made leaders decided to forgo that principle and ensure their children and future generations entered politics too, paving the way for today’s nepotism. And though nepotism routinely draws flak from the media and from the public (nowadays on social media) it is not declining at all.

Nepotism in law and medicine attract the least amount of opprobrium; children seamlessly step into the practices of their parents. In fact, a child of a doctor who also takes to medicine is given more credence than a rank newcomer as healing skills are assumed to be handed down! Law too sees many scions of great advocates and judges rising to the top like their parents. But the big difference is that non-nepo ‘great’ doctors and lawyers still outnumber nepos.

The picture of the film industry is not so clear. Newcomers can and do make it big in cinema today, although they have to work much harder at it than their nepo peers. But the Indian cinema industry is now 110 years old, which means several generations of new stars have been born. And far too many of them have had children who have followed their fathers, mothers and even grandparents into the same profession, hugely increasing the industry’s nepo component.

This profusion of nepos has queered the pitch for the genuinely talented actors among them. After all, nepotism in the film world is pretty egalitarian in that its practitioners promote their progeny irrespective of their worthiness. So these offspring are tarred by the nepo brush without discrimination by critics too. They then have to work exponentially harder to prove they are indeed good at what they do and are not just the pampered progeny of powerful parents.

Sadly, The Archies as the carefully engineered and calibrated launch pad for three scions of top cinema ‘families’, even directed by nepo (an undoubtedly talented one) is also hamstrung by this factor. From the very outset, its success had become an article of faith for their powerful families and was therefore, in a way, a trial of the robustness and efficiency of the nepo system itself, as much as a test of the abilities of the debutants. And neither is an unqualified success.

Like political nepos fielded from pocket boroughs with the entire party apparatus deployed for their victory, even filmi nepos cannot take success for granted. Rahul Gandhi realised that in Amethi in 2019 when a first-generation politician (and, piquantly, a first-generation actor) defeated him. Given their families’ reach and determination it is hard to assess whether The Archies nepos have made on their own merit, or thanks to their parents—or not made it yet at all.

Nepotism clearly makes it hard for everyone. Nepos have to strive harder to prove themselves as their achievements are taken with a bag of salt. Their interlocutors (audiences in the case of actors, voters for poli-nepos, colleagues for all other types of nepos) have to will themselves to be impartial—that is, not see them only as nepos but judge them purely on the basis of their talent. But ultimately, nepos have to accept their peers’ verdict too and not go crying to parents.

The author is a freelance writer. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views.

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