Imran Khan breaks silence on nepotism debate: ‘Ranbir’s from film royalty’

Back in 2017, the nepotism debate took centre stage after Kangana Ranaut raised the issue on Koffee With Karan alongside Saif Ali Khan. The conversation sparked intense discussions across Bollywood and beyond. Years later, actor Imran Khan has revisited the topic as he prepares to return to films after a decade-long break. In a recent interaction, Imran shared a measured and candid perspective on nepotism.In an interview with News18, Imran reflected on how nepotism shaped conversations even at the time of his debut. He explained that the debate never felt new to him and existed long before social media amplified it. He said, “If I made my debut today, I think it would’ve been the same, really. But I certainly heard those things even then.” He added that such discussions were already part of industry chatter when he entered films. Expanding on the idea, Imran pointed out that Indian cinema has historically functioned as a family-driven business model. He remarked, “In the Indian film industry – I don’t want to single out only the Hindi film industry – there has been a long-standing pattern of it being a family business and there being a lot of incest within (laughs).”According to him, this structure explains why the debate has always existed. He concluded, “That has historically been a feature of the industry. So, that conversation has always been around.”Imran further shared that nepotism becomes controversial primarily when audiences reject the work. He cited Ranbir Kapoor as an example of how strong performances can change perception. He explained, “Ranbir’s from film royalty. His family founded the film industry. But he’s a fantastic actor and nobody has any complaints about that.”He went on to clarify that criticism is often linked to merit rather than background. Emphasising this point, Imran added, “I really think that the issue comes in when people don’t like the quality of their work. If they don’t think that you’re a good actor or a filmmaker, then they’ll criticise you very rightly.”Imran Khan is gearing up for his comeback film 'Adhoore Hum Adhoore Tum'. Ranbir Kapoor, meanwhile, has a packed slate that includes 'Love & War', 'Ramayana' and 'Animal Park'.