Actor Huma Qureshi has weighed in on Bollywood’s long-running nepotism debate, saying the issue is not that some actors are born into film families, but that many begin to feel entitled to the opportunities that come their way. Speaking to podcaster Divya Jain on her YouTube show, Huma said actors from film families undeniably have easier access to the industry, but stressed that access alone does not guarantee a successful career.
Huma said talent remains essential for longevity, even as she acknowledged the advantage of familiarity and access. “Talent is extremely important, and you don’t last without talent, for sure. But definitely the access and the opening of doors… There’s a lot of comfort and ease in that. You just have to worry about your job, just to act,” she said.
According to Huma, the public has never had a problem with someone belonging to a film family, because nobody can control the family or lineage they are born into. She said the backlash begins when privilege is accompanied by complacency and entitlement. “I don’t think anybody has a problem with somebody being born to a particular family or lineage. Nobody can control that,” she said, adding, “What a lot of people are now finding extremely offensive is that people are not using that opportunity to improve themselves. They’re not working hard.”
The Maharani actor, who has been promoting her film Baby Do Die Do, said what frustrates audiences is not privilege itself but the attitude with which some actors approach their careers. “There’s no intentionality between what they do. They just turn up, and they land up, and they behave entitled. They behave as if this is just something that should automatically come to them. I think the problem is with that,” she said.
Huma also pointed out that countless aspiring actors spend years trying to break into the industry without the access that star kids enjoy. She said opportunities should be valued rather than taken for granted. “It’s only when people feel there is unfairness, unfair advantage or just lack of preparation or lack of acknowledgement of the opportunities that come to you so easily that so many thousands and thousands of people have no access to them,” she said.
Concluding her thoughts, Huma said audiences have consistently rewarded hard work, irrespective of an actor’s background. “Anybody who works hard, everybody appreciates that. We really love our movie stars,” she said.
The debate around nepotism in Bollywood has resurfaced repeatedly over the years, with actors and filmmakers offering differing views on whether family connections outweigh merit, and Huma’s remarks place the focus on how actors use the opportunities available to them.
Meanwhile, Huma has received appreciation for her performance in the thriller film Baby Do Die Do, which continues to run in theatres. The film features the actor playing an assassin – first for Bollywood. She will next be seen in Toxic: A Fairy Tale for Grown-Ups, alongside Yash, Nayanthara, Kiara Advani and Tara Sutaria.
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