This refers to the editorial, “Merit, not nepotism, sells” (August 3). Gossips and controversies more or less make a staple of headlines in the media even as something about film celebrities is presented with an overdose of embellishment to attract readership or the attention of the audience.
Apart from the verbal spat between bollywood actors Kangana Ranaut and Saif Ali Khan, over the latter's remarks about the star children having an edge on the lesser beings in the bollywood, there is no denying to the fact that in every walk of life at large and in the Indian film industry in particular, star children's passage to success appears easier than the others having no logistic support.
However, the touchstone of success is the merit where even the star children have to qualify. There are several examples such as Sanjay Dutt, Sunny Deol, Bobby Deol, Aamir Khan and Salman Khan who are successful but on the strength of their acting flairs, while Shah Rukh Khan has no filmi background but still rules the roost. On the other hand, neither Sunil Dutt's brother Som Dutt nor even legendary Dev Anand's son Sunil Anand could make it to fame which also involves a point of luck.