Chaos actor Akshith Shashikumar: Star kids don't always have a red carpet rolled out

It wouldn't be unfair in saying that Akshith Shashikumar's career has begun on an underwhelming note. Being the son of a former superstar, opportunities came to him without much struggle but the actor in him couldn't cash in immediately. And with both his films so far faring poorly at the box office, Akshith is left with no choice but to pull up his socks and turn things around at the earliest. One such endeavour in this direction is his third film Chaos which also stars Aditi Prabhudeva and promises to be a riveting thriller that shows him in a new light. 

But, despite the fact that his career is yet to technically take off due to the failures, does the status of being a 'star kid' come in handy? While that cannot ever grant any kind of success to an actor/artist, does the fact that he is Supreme Hero Shashikumar's son help in attracting more opportunities than the rest?

When quizzed about the same 'nepotism' topic in a recent interaction with a YouTube channel, Akshith Shashikumar said, "On the outside, it might seem like it's all because of nepotism but only I would know the exact backstory. The fact is that if you are a star kid, directors or producers don't roll out the red carpet and invite you into the industry. That hasn't happened to me yet and nor have I got opportunities because of my status. And unlike what is reported, my father hasn't intervened in my career to fetch good projects for me - I respect him so much for that. Sure, I have had filmmakers come to me with scripts because I am Shashikumar's son but I have had to audition after that to land those roles".

Weighing in on this, Akshith's Chaos co-star Aditi Prabhudeva said that although being part of the industry through familial connections does help one to make early strides, the struggles, however, will remain common to every actor.

"Each person has their journey to embark upon but things might look rosy in the case of a few. If my struggles as an outsider are of one kind, star kids have their own struggles to deal with. And one can't pick & choose where they are born - it is a matter of fact and the struggles can't be done away with just because you are born into a film family," she added.

Chaos, directed by debutant Dr. GV Prasad, is a thriller set on a medical campus and also stars Siddu Moolimani, RK Chandan, and Shivanand Sindgi with Shashikumar, too, playing a role in the film. Chaos hits the big screens on February 17th.