Nani: If nepotism exists, it isn’t encouraged by the industry but the audiences themselves

Sony LIV, for the third episode of their talk show, Nijam with Smita themed around nepotism, couldn’t have brought together better guests than Nani and Rana Daggubati, the right faces to represent the insider vs outsider debate that took the industry by storm in the recent years. During the episode, the stars, critics, filmmakers shared their understanding of the issue.

When it was Nani’s turn to speak about nepotism, he said, “There’s a belief among audiences that a group of bigwigs in the industry are responsible for nepotism and denying opportunities to those who don’t belong to a film family. It’s a false belief. If Nani is doing his first film, only a lakh will turn up in theatres. When Chiranjeevi’s son Ram Charan’s debut releases, one crore people will watch it.”

“There’s nothing that the industry can do about it. It’s just giving you what you want. It’s you, audiences, who’re coming to watch them in theatres,” Nani added. Rana Daggubati, instead of nepotism, said that continuing a family legacy should be looked at, as a responsibility. “When my grandfather and father have built something for decades, it’s my basic duty to take it forward.”

“So many studios in the South and Mumbai have fallen apart. Why? It’s because a generation didn’t take charge of their family legacy. It’s wrong to do that,” Rana shared. “My grandfather was a farmer, who owned a ricemill, who came to Madras to make movies and made a name for himself in the business. We later shifted to Hyderabad to construct a studio. When something has been built with so much effort, I need to continue it.”

Rana also said that if he wasn’t equipped enough for his job, his grandfather (producer D Ramanaidu) wouldn’t have encouraged him either. Before acting, he was actively involved in film production, distribution and even founded a VFX wing in Suresh Productions.