‘Ranbir Kapoor would be a star even if he were an outsider,’ says Jaideep Ahlawat reflecting on nepotism debate

Jaideep Ahlawat recently opened up on the raging debate of nepotism and said that it doesn’t him impact as an actor in the industry. He mentioned Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Varun Dhawan as examples of actors who have carved out a career due to their talents.

In a conversation with Miss Malini, he said that he has not been affected personally by nepotism. “Ranbir Kapoor isn’t after my roles, nor is Varun Dhawan. And if anybody is living in the misconception that he is successful only because he comes from a film family, they need a reality check,” he said.

He added, “Ranbir Kapoor would be a star even if he were an outsider. And it’s not like I came here to become Ranbir Kapoor. If a girl is coming here to become Alia Bhatt, it’s not right. I am not the second Ranbir Kapoor; I am the first Jaideep Ahlawat.”

The actor also reflected on how actors like Manoj Bajpayee and Irrfan Khan wouldn’t have found space in the industry if they thought of nepotism. He said, “You have to accept that Ranbir Kapoor belongs to the first family of Bollywood. When we were probably playing with marbles, he was entrenched in conversations about cinema and the industry. I can choose to continue complaining about unfairness, or I can focus on myself and do my thing,”  

Jaideep was last seen in the web-series Broken News alongside Sonali Bendre and Shriya Pilgaonkar. He will be seen next in a pivotal role in Maharaj, which marks the debut of Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan.