EXCLUSIVE: Sooraj Pancholi Believes It’s ‘Much Tougher’ For Film Family Kids To Debut Today; Says, “(Earlier) The Word Nepotism Wasn’t Relevant”

Sooraj Pancholi is an Indian actor who appears in Hindi-language films. The son of actors Aditya Pancholi and Zarina Wahab, he debuted with the 2015 romantic action film Hero. He also starred in the 2019 action drama film Satellite Shankar opposite Megha Akash. In his FIRST podcast post getting acquitted in his 12-year-long legal battle with Bollywood Bubble, Sooraj Pancholi believes it tougher for newcomers today to make their debut.

Sooraj Pancholi Reaclls NO Grooming From Family As An Actor

When asked if he feels newcomers or debutants in Bollywood are more groomed, Sooraj Pancholi said, “No, I think it’s more difficult now. Because there’s so much more trolling. When I did my first film, the word ‘nepotism’ wasn’t even relevant—no one really knew or talked about it. But now, I think it’s much tougher for actors coming from film families because there’s so much hate. I always say this: if you’re a star kid, people don’t compare you to your father’s first film. They compare you to his last. And that’s incredibly hard for any newcomer to live up to. But I do think the current generation is much more prepared and well-groomed for the industry.”

He added, “In my case, I had zero grooming from my family to become an actor. My father would have been the wrong person to groom me anyway. My mom, though she’s been an actor longer than my father, has never been involved in the industry in that way. Even now, if I call and tell her, ‘Mom, I’m doing a podcast,’ she’ll just say, ‘Whatever.’ She’s just an actor, nothing more.”

Concluding he said, “No film-world trappings. She cooks her own food at 4 in the morning, drives herself to set, does her own makeup. Unless it’s a prosthetic job, of course—and even makes lunch for herself and her co-stars. She feeds everyone on set. Whenever I meet someone who has worked with my mom, they always say, ‘Yeah, she fed me on set. She always invited us to eat from her tiffin.’ She’s an incredibly simple woman. My father is the complete opposite. But I like to believe I’ve inherited the best of both.”

Watch The Full Interview

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