The debate around nepotism in the film industry isn’t new. For years, people have questioned how actors from big film families often get an easy entry into cinema, especially in Bollywood. Filmmaker Karan Johar has often been the face of this controversy. However, just having a film background doesn’t guarantee success.
We’ve seen this time and again, even someone from SV Ranga Rao’s lineage couldn’t make it as a lead hero. Among NTR’s children, only Balakrishna rose to stardom. In the Akkineni family, Naga Chaitanya found his space, but Akhil is still looking for that one breakthrough blockbuster.
What made headlines now is Manchu Manoj’s bold comment on the subject. Speaking at an event, Manoj openly stated that having a film background doesn’t mean you’ll succeed. “Even if you’re a nepo kid, you still have to earn it,” he said, pointing to his own career as proof.
Despite being the son of veteran actor Mohan Babu, Manoj couldn’t cement a strong position as a lead hero. He didn’t see consistent box office success. Recently, he made a comeback as a villain in Bhairavam, but the response was underwhelming.
Looking at the flip side, stars like Chiranjeevi, Ravi Teja, and Nani made it big without any film family backing.
Interestingly, Manoj’s comments came shortly after Vijay Deverakonda mentioned in an interview that not having a film background meant he couldn’t say “no” to bad scripts early in his career. That makes Manoj’s statement feel even more relevant now.
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