The nepotism debate in Bollywood has become one of the major concerns for the industry. As netizens demand justice for Sushant Singh Rajput, they continue to persecute those who to them represent nepotism in the system.
A video of Swara Bhasker asking Karan Johar hard-hitting questions on nepotism had resurfaced on the internet before Kangana had pointed out nepotism. The actress who also came across the video on Twitter took a stand for Karan Johar saying that he had not shied away from the question and had answered her honestly.
Swara Bhasker comes to Karan Johar's defence
Karan Johar has been heavily criticised following Sushant Singh Rajput's death. As someone who has constantly been seen as the epitome of nepotism in Bollywood, he faced online hatred and backlash to the point of hatred in these past few weeks.
Now, a video is doing the rounds on the internet of Karan Johar being questioned on nepotism by Swara Bhasker. At an event in 2016, the actress questioned the director, "My question, of course, comes from an actor and all the actors over here I think will understand, you're more than a director and filmmaker, you really are one over the years who has changed Bollywood pretty much forever, and that's amazing. And it's a perception, it may not be factual, but you're someone who is seen to be the person who makes, who launches star children and makes all these amazing careers, now you know why an actor is asking that question, an actor like me. But, I just want to know, is that something that happens consciously or is that something that kind of just happens when you know somebody from their bachpan (childhood) because to the outsider, or for someone like me it makes Bollywood very...no not nepotistic, feudal. For someone like me, we would never know how to find a way in..."
Karan Johar went on to speak about how he came to launch Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan and that he didn't even know Mahesh Bhatt had a daughter. In Varun Dhawan's case his mother had asked the director but only to have him as an Assistant Director. Moreover, the director said that talent would be everything for someone to survive in Bollywood.
On Twitter coming across this old video, Swara commented, "Let's take a moment & acknowledge that @karanjohar took this question on the chin, & answered in a candid & honest manner not taking unwarranted personal offence. Let's also acknowledge that he didn't have the infamous #nepotism comment removed from his chat show which he could've."
Of course, there were those who shamed the actress on this tweet claiming that she was defending him when he was in the wrong. Well, the debate is still on and the arguments continue from both sides.
