Let’s start by revisiting the (un) successful story of some of these star kids…
Uday Chopra
The younger scion of the Chopra clan, Uday entered Bollywood with the successful “Mohabbatein” in 2000, but struggled to secure leading roles thereafter. He gained recognition as Ali in the “Dhoom” series, a role that became his career highlight. He also did the forgettable Neal ‘n’ Nikki (2005), and the moderately successful Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai before that in 2002. However, he struggled to find roles outside the Chopra banner, and slowly retired into oblivion (from acting that it)
Tanishaa Mukerji
The younger sister of Kajol and daughter of Tanuja, Tanishaa Mukerji debuted in 2003 with “Sssshhh…”, followed by roles in “Neal ‘n’ Nikki” and a stint on “Bigg Boss 7”. Despite coming from a celebrated film family, Tanisha faced difficulties in achieving significant success in Bollywood. She eventually accepted her fate and is now rarely seen on the big or OTT screen.
Puru Rajkumar
Puru Rajkumar started his Bollywood journey with “Bal Bramhachari” in 1996 opposite Karisma Kapoor, but struggled to replicate the success of his father, Raaj Kumar. Despite efforts in films like “Mission Kashmir”, Puru shifted focus towards entrepreneurial pursuits outside of the entertainment industry.
Mimoh Chakraborty
Mimoh Chakraborty debuted with “Jimmy” in 2008, which failed to make an impact at the box office. Despite his famous lineage, including father Mithun Chakraborty, Mimoh encountered challenges in establishing himself as a successful actor in Bollywood. He later rebranded himself as Mahaakshay Chakraborty and continues to pursue acting, albeit with varying degrees of success.
Esha Deol
Esha Deol, the older daughter of Hema Malini and Dharmendra made her debut with “Koi Mere Dil Se Poochhe” in 2002, winning accolades for her performance. Despite initial success in films like “Dhoom” and “Yuva”, Esha’s career saw massive fluctuations, with forgettable flicks like Ek Duaa, Pyare Mohan, One Two Three and others. Esha, a trained classical dancer eventually branched out to the creative field, besides raising her two daughters Radhya and Miraya, with Bharat Takhtani. The duo earlier this year, announced that they are parting ways.
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Tusshar Kapoor
Tusshar Kapoor, the son of Jeetendra debuted in 2001 with “Mujhe Kucch Kehna Hai”, opposite Kareena Kapoor, which was commercially successful. Known for his roles in the popular “Golmaal” series, and movies like Khakee, Tusshar intermittently saw moderate success. However, amidst those, he also saw a spate of duds like Kucch To Hai, Gayab, Kyaa Dil Ne Kahaa, Life Partner and others. He eventually ventured into film production, backing projects like “Laxmii”.
Arya Babbar
The son of Raj Babbar, Arya Babbar debuted with “Ab Ke Baras” in 2002, but struggled to find firm footing in Bollywood despite efforts in films like “Guru” and “Tees Maar Khan”. He later turned to theatre and writing, exploring new avenues for artistic expression beyond the constraints of mainstream cinema.
Kumar Gaurav
The son of Rajendra Kumar, Kumar Gaurav made a sensational debut with “Love Story” in 1981, which catapulted him to instant fame. He next starred in Teri Kasam, which did moderately well. However, subsequent films did not replicate the same success. He eventually shifted focus to business ventures, reflecting the unpredictable nature of Bollywood careers and the importance of diversifying interests beyond acting.
Harman Baweja
Harman Baweja, the son of director Harry Baweja, burst onto the Bollywood scene with “Love Story 2050” in 2008, but the film failed to meet expectations. Despite subsequent efforts in films like “Victory” and “What’s Your Raashee?”, he struggled to revive his career and eventually stepped away from mainstream cinema. He made a comeback of sorts with the OTT series ‘Scoop’, in which he played a corrupt cop. Beyond acting, Harman has found his calling as a producer and is pretty successful at that.
Twinkle Khanna
The older daughter of Rajesh Khanna and Dimple Kapadia, Twinkle Khanna had a dream debut with Bobby Deol in Barsaat in 1995. This apart, she was also seen with Salman Khan in Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai, apart from starring with Shah Rukh Khan in Baadshah and Aamir Khan in Mela. Despite having the best of offers in her kitty, Twinkle quickly realised that acting is not her cup of tea. She married actor Akshay Kumar in 2001 and is now a mother, best-selling author and interior designer. Her younger sister Rinke Khanna, too, could not replicate the success of her parents, and is now married and based overseas.
Star kid or not, success is not guaranteed
The nepotism debate apart, experts say that despite the internal push, it all boils down to a mix of talent, luck and the right offers. Ramesh Taurani, film producer says, “At the end of the day, success is a mix of talent and luck, and that goes for everyone, whether or not he/she is a star kid. The only edge a star kid has is that they can meet the producer directly, even more than once, but beyond that, nothing is guaranteed.” His words are echoed by Atul Mohan, Trade Analyst, who adds, “Stardom isn’t for everyone; it’s something you’re born with, not something you can manufacture. We’ve all heard this before and it’s true. If it weren’t, why do some children of famous actors or filmmakers fail to achieve success? While having a famous parent might open doors, it’s your talent that truly determines your success.”
Learnings along the way
Many star kids admit to making the wrong choices when it came to their first movie and being unable to rectify that later on. Actor Mithun’s son Mimoh, who made his debut with Jimmy in 2008, said, ” When it came to Jimmy it was (the failure) all on me. I wasn’t prepared. I took everything very lightly. I wasn’t serious enough. I wasn’t focused enough. But today, I am and everyday learning is a leap of success.”
Some are even more candid, and accept that at the end of the day, they were terrible at it and hence decided to hang up their boots. Twinkle Khanna, who is known for her witty mind, at one of her book releases said, “I have not given any hit film. Whatever films I have done should be banned and (no one should watch) it. Most of the time, I pretend I have Alzheimer’s and I don’t remember my film career and it makes me happy that way.” Even on shows like Koffee With Karan, Twinkle said that she can’t be happier that she is no longer acting.
Success can have different connotations
Another aspect to keep in mind is that the benchmark to measure success can be different for different people, and that is okay too. Mimoh adds, “If you would have asked me this question (about not being very successful), 10 years back, I would probably have given a very resentful answer. However, as you grow older, you realise that life is all about waves, sometimes you are up, sometimes you are down. But you still have to keep swimming in the ocean. Now, success for me is seeing my family, coming home to play with my pets, seeing my wife do well and doing some good projects”. Similarly, actors like Tusshar Kapoor, who along with turning producers, have also embraced single parenthood, thus driving home the message that success is not always restricted to the professional field.
The pressure to succeed is immense
Apart from luck and talent, the pressure to succeed weighs far more on star kids, since they have to live up to their rich lineage. Not everyone is designed to tackle that, and it can have a ripple effect on their efforts to find a footing. In an interview with Mid-Day a few years back, Harman Baweja said, “I feel that the media was absolutely unfair to me. When I had done my first few films, a barrage of harsh and mean things were written [about me]. It’s part and parcel of the business, but it hurts when it gets too personal. There were times when I’d make sure that the papers didn’t come home, or that my mom didn’t see them. I quit because effectively, things didn’t pan out the way they initially [appeared]. Today, the same family who avoided reading papers is now looking forward to the next article on me.”
Does the nepotism debate hold water?
The chatter around nepotism has been around for decades and refuses to die down. However, not all star kids make the cut, despite their rich lineage. The usually reticent director and producer Aditya Chopra opened up on the same in the Netflix documentary, The Romantics. Aditya said, “One of the things that people tend to ignore, is that every person who comes from a privileged background–everyone is not successful. I can articulate it without mentioning other people. I can just articulate it by mentioning my own family. My brother is an actor, and he’s not a very successful actor. Here is the son of one of the biggest filmmakers. He’s the brother of a very big filmmaker. Imagine a company like YRF who has launched so many newcomers, we could not make him a star. Why could we not do it on our own? The bottom line is, only an audience will decide ‘I like this person, I want to see this person’. No one else.” He further stated, “Yes, if you are born into a film family, there’s no doubt that it could be easier to get an audition or a break. But it stops there.”
Picking the wrong offers.
Kunal M Shah, Casting Director, says, “This discussion about star kids not making it big is an important one, and one of the biggest reasons for that is not choosing the right film and script. This also proves that at the end of the day, the nepotism debate is pure hogwash, and one will achieve success if they have to, regardless of their background.” On the other hand, others feel that (some) star kids come with excessive privilege, and that can lead to disastrous results. “Some star kids failed because of their attitude. Their tantrums and entitlement from day one sabotaged their careers before they even began. Talent and humility go hand in hand when it comes to lasting success in this industry”, adds Atul Mohan, Trade Analyst.
Finding success in other fields
Beyond the realms of acting, many star kids branch out to other fields and find success, thus proving that sometimes, acting does not actually run in the blood. While Harman Baweja is now quite a successful producer, Tusshar Kapoor too, found his calling in Production. On the other hand, Twinkle Khanna, known by her pseudonym ‘Mrs Funnybones’ is a best selling author and columnist, who is known for her relatable content. She also recently completed her Master’s degree in Fiction Writing Master Program from London University at the age of 50! Similarly, Uday Chopra in 2014, debuted as a producer in Cannes with Grace of Monaco, which starred Nicole Kidman and Tim Roth. This apart, he is also the founder of Yomics World, the comic book division of Yash Raj Films Studios.
