Vidya Balan Weighs In On Nepotism Debate: "Kisi Ke Baap Ki Industry Nahi Hai"

Do Aur Do Pyaar will release on April 19

Vidya Balan is currently gearing up for the release of her upcoming film Do Aur Do Pyaar. During a conversation at the inaugural session of Indian Express Expresso, actors Vidya Balan and Pratik Gandhi delved into their experiences of overcoming rejections, being labelled 'jinxed,' and enduring what they described as a 'witch hunt' before achieving success. The actress also weighed in on the nepotism debate. Addressing questions about facing bias in the film industry, Vidya Balan said, "Nepotism or no nepotism, I am here. Kisi ki baap ki industry nahi hai, nahi toh har baap ka beta, har baap ki beti successful hote" (The film industry doesn't belong to anybody's father; otherwise, all the star kids would have been successful)."

Vidya Balan also recounted the "witch hunt" she faced early in her career. "I was going through heartbreak for three years. That feeling of rejection was so strong and it was devastating. I was shattered and my will to continue on this path was shaken. But I have to say that the fire in my belly outshone everything else," she shared.

Pratik, who garnered acclaim for his role in Scam 92: The Harshad Mehta Story, opened up about his journey to success. Having relocated from Surat to Mumbai, he said that he encountered his fair share of challenges. “TV rejected me outright. All the auditions that I gave… I got rejected. Their idea of an actor for a television show was a little different. My appearance didn't work for them. They were looking for a certain kind of physique, skin colour, and look," he said.