The insider-versus-outsider debate in Bollywood rarely finds a defender willing to flip the script. But filmmaker Imtiaz Ali has done precisely that, arguing that star kids like Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt carry a heavier burden than those who enter the industry without any filmy lineage.
The added pressure of a famous name
Speaking to Zoom, Ali pushed back against the commonly held view that nepotism gives star kids an unfair head start. He argued that growing up surrounded by successful parents, uncles, and mothers creates a different kind of pressure entirely. He said, “Alia, Ranbir and many other actors and people of the film industry who have been born in the film industry go through an added toughness because they’ve got examples of success right around them. They have to compete with their own fathers, uncles and mothers to call themselves, in their own minds, successful. People coming from outside have it easier like me.”
Ali’s view challenges the popular narrative that celebrity offspring glide into stardom on the back of their family name. He contended that the scrutiny they face demands a higher standard of proof. On Ranbir specifically, he said, “Ranbir is an actor today in the film industry; there is no doubt. You can call him a nepo child, but actually, those doubts are dispelled because he’s so fantastic.”
He was equally emphatic about Alia. “Alia Bhatt is so fantastic that you will not grudge the fact that she got the role; you would want her to get more roles. It’s like that, but one has to earn that. People who are born into the film industry have to earn it even more,” he added.
A director with skin in the game
Ali’s defence is not that of a neutral observer. He has worked closely with both actors at defining moments in their careers. Alia’s breakthrough came with his 2014 road film Highway, which showcased a rawness that silenced many of her early detractors. His collaborations with Ranbir on Rockstar and Tamasha were, at the time, measured commercial underperformers, yet both films have since accumulated devoted cult followings, cementing the actor’s reputation as one of his generation’s most nuanced performers.
What’s next for the trio
Ali himself is preparing for the release of his upcoming romantic drama Main Vaapas Aaunga, led by Diljit Dosanjh, Vedang Raina, and Sharvari, with Naseeruddin Shah in a key role. Set against the backdrop of Partition-era migration, the film explores themes of love, longing, and belonging, and is scheduled to arrive in theatres on June 12.
Ranbir, meanwhile, is gearing up for Nitesh Tiwari’s mythology epic Ramayana, in which he plays Lord Rama alongside Yash as Ravana, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Ravi Dubey as Lakshman, and Sunny Deol as Lord Hanuman. The first instalment of the two-part film is set to release a week before Diwali 2026.
Alia, on the other hand, is set to headline Alpha, the seventh chapter in the YRF Spy Universe, directed by Shiv Rawail and also featuring Bobby Deol, Anil Kapoor, and Sharvari, which hits theatres on July 3.
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