Bollywood star Vivaan Shah made his debut with the 2011 released film Saat Khoon Maaf, and he went on to do a number of films including Happy New Year, Bombay Velvet, and Kabaad: The Coin among others. The 32-year-old, who is the younger son of veteran actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak Shah, talked about his views about nepotism in Bollywood, saying that he thinks it is a “systemic problem that needs to be addressed and corrected.”
In an exclusive conversation with News18.com, Vivaan shared, “This is a complicated topic, and it is something that people are still trying to wrap their heads around. And as I said earlier also, this is not one individual’s fault, it is a systemic problem, which needs to be addressed and corrected. The sad thing about the entire nepotism discussion is that it became a bit of a finger-pointing exercise. They started singling out certain individuals as if they are the cause or the blame should be on their shoulders, which is completely sad and it is unfair and unjust because it is a systemic problem, not because of any one individual or any one company for also that matter, or any one production house, or any one organization or people.”
“I think we are slowly evolving and growing out of that because what counts at the end of the day in today’s day in age is merit. It doesn’t count what your surname is, who you are, where you come from, and all those kinds of things. What really matters is merit and that’s the way it should be. That’s the healthy future we are all looking forward to. A future where merit counts, your craft counts,” he added.
On being asked if he feels the pressure of matching up to the benchmark his parents have set, Vivaan responded, “It is a positive motivating factor. It is something that pushes me to work harder and to try and make my family proud. It is a motivation, and people often think of it as pressure, but I look at it as a motivating factor, and as a positive factor. I take it as a positive pressure which pushes me to work harder so that I can make my family proud.”
The ‘A Suitable Boy’ actor is making his return to OTT with the web series Sutliyan on ZEE5, which is a family drama. Vivaan said, “It is a wonderful and heartwarming show that I think everybody can watch with their family. Everybody can relate to the series. The web series is about what disrupts the family and their bond, and in that sense, it can be a cautionary parable. People can learn from the show. It has certain issues that everyone can relate to, and hopefully not make some of the mistakes. There is a lot to learn from the show, for any family or any individual, they all can learn a lot from the show.”
The series features Ayesha Raza Mishra, Plabita Borthakur and Shiv Pandit in pivotal roles, and will start streaming on ZEE5 from March 4, 2022.
When asked if he thinks releasing a movie digitally is better than opening in theatres, the actor said, “It entirely depends on the nature of the movie. I don’t think it is a wise business strategy to release a movie in the theatres that will probably not be able to engage the theatrical audience, and it will end up putting a loss for the producer. The OTT sphere has provided opportunities to films, and to those films that were to try and sort of wrestle in the marketplace. That is a Darwinian kind of thing, just like the nature of the jungle.”
The actor even expressed his views on South films being appreciated by moviegoers. He shared, “They make great films, that is the reason they are being widely appreciated. And because of the merit of the craft that goes behind the making of those films. South Indian cinema has a rich tradition of wonderful films, and amazing artists and craftsmen. So, it is no surprise at all that dominant cinema in today’s day in age is Indian cinema and regional cinema. Bollywood will have to up their game if they want to leave as much of an impression as South cinema is leaving.”
Talking about the number of movies in Bollywood that have been adapted from South Indian cinema, Vivaan shared his views about adaptations, sequels, and remakes. He said, “I am not a big fan of that phenomenon, because I believe in originality. I don’t really believe in remakes and reboots and sequels, that kind of stuff. I am a person who is a firm believer that there should be an original idea for a story. I am not a very big fan of remakes, in general. Whether it be South Indian cinema or any cinema. Remaking is a sign of the bankruptcy of imagination.”
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