Sushant Singh Rajput’s sad demise has brought back the nepotism debate once again. The actor committed suicide at his Bandra home on June 14. There are talks that the actor became a victim of nepotism and thus was suffering from depression since the past few months. Giving his opinion on the nepotism debate, Shivin Narang says that nepotism exists, but it’s not just limited to the entertainment industry, it’s everywhere.
The “Ek Veer Ki Ardaas… Veera” star also asserted that the media writes about the star kids on a daily basis, making them more saleable, so, they are also equally responsible for nepotism.
“Yes I believe nepotism exists, favouritism exists and not only in Bollywood it’s everywhere. But I feel our media is equally responsible for this. If you see any star kid, so many people want to interview them, there is always so much paparazzi around them, and so much is written about them since the beginning that they become famous for no reason. And because the press is writing so much about them, they become more saleable. Now that they are more saleable, obviously they will be the first preference. So somewhere our press is also responsible for this,” Shivin said.
“Instead of that I think the media should talk about new talent and appreciate them more. The press first needs to change it’s point of view and then only people’s point of view will change. The media needs to change their policies and outlook and push new talent,” he added. Shivin believes that nepotism is not bad, but taking away someone’s work for your own benefit is.
“So far I have not faced anything like nepotism, but I have seen it happening around me. And I don’t think there’s anything bad in it. My dad would have done the same thing for me. However, if people are intentionally blocking someone that is a bad thing. But if someone wants to invest in their family, friends or relatives, I don’t think it’s bad at all,” he said.
The “Beyhadh 2” star also addressed the issue of mental health and depression and said that this is not something that is industry-centric and can happen to anyone. However, he asserted that the people in the entertainment industry are still more aware and accepting about it.
“Life of an actor is very unstable, sometimes you are on the top and sometimes you need to struggle. But this is something we all know before entering the industry. And as far as depression is concerned, it’s not just in the entertainment industry. Life is so fast now, especially because of internet and social media and we tend to forget ourselves. People make less conversation, they meet less and rather meet or talk digitally,” he said.
“Sometimes when you are alone, you feel empty. And it happens with everyone. It’s not like that depression just happens to people in the entertainment industry. I feel wherever the job atmosphere is stressful, it can happen. But I think the people from the industry are still very open about it, they accept that they are suffering from depression, etc., and they need to get it treated,” he added.
The young actor also feels that the topics of depression and mental health should be included in school’s syllabus so that children are aware about it since the beginning.
“I think this is something that should be taught since the beginning, like from school onwards. I don’t remember being taught anything like this. It should be included in the syllabus since childhood, everything from the symptoms to how to cope with it,” Shivin concluded.