Vivek Oberoi calls Bollywood 'exclusive club' where surname trumps talent
What's the story
Debates on Bollywood being unwelcoming to outsiders and nepotism have repeatedly made headlines in the past year.
Now, Vivek Oberoi, who has had his fair share of ups and downs in the industry, has given his two cents.
He tagged Bollywood to be an "exclusive club," where "either surname or who you know...matters, not your talent."
Here's more on what he said.
Context
Why does it matter?
The matter of industry's attitude to outsiders has always been controversial but it became heated following actor Sushant Singh Rajput's sudden death last year.
A section of his followers believes that Rajput had been under pressure because of his lack of connections.
Actress Kangana Ranaut, a staunch brigadier of the nepotism issue, even met former Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar to discuss it.
Quote
'We haven't developed the nursery that nurtures young talent'
Speaking to Hindustan Times recently, the Yuva actor noted he didn't regret his professional journey but had a complaint against Bollywood.
"We [people in the industry] haven't developed the nursery that nurtures young talent...We made it into this exclusive club where it is either surname or who you know or which lobby or which darbar you do a salaam at...that matters, not your talent."
Details
'For any industry to thrive...you need people coming in': Oberoi
Apart from being unfair to new talent, Oberoi pointed that the exclusive nature of the industry is also hindering its growth.
"For any industry to thrive...you need fresh ideas, you need people coming in and you need to be a welcoming space."
The Company star, who debuted on his own merit, said he also tries to bring in fresh talent in his small way.
Information
He recently greeted fans with 'Inside Edge 3'
Citing an example, the actor said he requested Inside Edge producers Excel Entertainment to put his co-star Richa Chadha's name above his.
He stressed the need to do away with all hierarchical structures in the film industry too.
Meanwhile, the 45-year-old recently returned to the OTT screen with the Amazon Prime Video show Inside Edge 3.
What do you think of the nepotism debate?