New Delhi: Actor Abhay Deol on Saturday said that nepotism is just the "tip of the iceberg', it is prevalent everywhere, and is not just limited to the film industry. The actor is glad that more actors are coming out and talking about their experiences these days. He hopes that the conversation reaches the watershed moment.
Deol, who made his Bollywood debut with Socha Na Tha under his uncle and actor Dharmendra Deol's Banner Vijayta Films, took to Instagram to share his views in the ongoing debate on nepotism in Bollywood.
He posted a collage featuring him and his uncle Dharmendra and wrote, "My uncle, whom I affectionately call dad, was an outsider who made it big in the film industry. I'm glad there is an active debate on the practices behind the scenes."
"Nepotism is just the tip of the iceberg. I've only ever made one film with my family, my 1st, and I'm grateful to be blessed and have that privilege. I've gone that extra mile in my career to make my own path, something that dad always encouraged. For me he was the inspiration," he added.
The Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara actor then said nepotism is prevalent everywhere including politics, business and films.
"Nepotism is prevalent everywhere in our culture, be it in politics, business, or film. I was well aware of it and it pushed me to take chances with new directors and producers throughout my career. That is how I was able to make movies that were considered "out of the box." I'm glad some of those artists and films went on to have tremendous success," he wrote.
"While it plays a part in every country, nepotism has taken on another dimension here in India. I suspect caste plays a major role in it being more pronounced here than in other parts of the world. After all, it is "jati" that dictates that a son carry on the work of his father, while the daughter is expected to marry and be a housewife," he added.
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