Bollywood Star Ranbir Kapoor Reflects on Nepotism at ‘Celebrate Cinema 2025’, Insisting He Had to Develop an Individual Identity to Succeed.
Bollywood star Ranbir Kapoor has candidly addressed the ongoing debate around nepotism in the film industry, openly terming himself a “product of nepotism.” Speaking at the ‘Celebrate Cinema 2025’ festival held at filmmaker Subhash Ghai’s film institute, Whistling Woods, the 43-year-old actor acknowledged that being born into the illustrious Kapoor family afforded him an easy entry, but stressed that lineage alone does not guarantee a successful career.
Ranbir, who represents the fourth generation of the famous Kapoor film dynasty (the son of actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor), explained that he was acutely aware of the need to work hard and develop his own identity to sustain himself in the industry.
“I’m a product of nepotism and I got it very easy in my life but I always had to work hard because I realised that I come from a family like this and if I don’t have an individualistic approach and if I don’t make a name for myself, I’ll not succeed in the film industry,” Kapoor stated.
The actor also offered a balanced view on the family legacy, pointing out that their journey includes setbacks that are often overlooked. He noted: “You guys celebrate a lot of success of my family but there are a lot of failures also, and as much as you learn from the success, you learn from the failure also.”
Kapoor was speaking at a session titled ‘Tribute to legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt’. Recalling his childhood, he said his upbringing was like any “normal family” and that he “didn’t know any better” than to grow up surrounded by the world of cinema. He shared memories of music directors, singers, and lyricists frequenting his home to create songs for his legendary grandfather Raj Kapoor’s movies, offering a glimpse into the creative, yet demanding, environment he was raised in.