Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Rajesh Khanna are all outsiders: Rahul Dev on nepotism

In a recent interview, Rahul Dev, who has worked in films as well as TV shows, spoke about nepotism in Bollywood. The actor gave the example of Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Rajesh Khanna, Dharmendra, Akshay Kumar and many others, and said that it was unfair to generalise and say that only those from the ‘film families’ could succeed in Bollywood. Also read: Rahul Dev says he did Bigg Boss 10 as he had no work

When asked if his success was hindered due to an advantage or sense of entitlement enjoyed by actors who come from film families, as opposed to someone like him who was a complete outsider, Rahul said that the ‘largest success stories’ in Bollywood are that of the outsiders.

“Being from the industry has its advantages, but if you sincerely look around, the largest success stories are that of the outsiders, be it Mr Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Vinod Khanna, Rajesh Khanna, Shatrughan Sinha from the earlier lot and the three legendary Khans (Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman Khan) or Akshay Kumar are all outsiders. They have the most successful stories. So, I can’t generalise anything,” Rahul told ETimes.

In the same interview, the actor also spoke about how Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Telugu movies made him a household name. He said he had a strong urge inside him to collaborate with casting directors, writers, and directors, who bring out the best in him – and did not mind if was playing the lead or the villain.

“I must say that the South directors could recognise that I have a certain character, which can be utilised in their stories and films which made my journey a successful and memorable one there. Now I observe that the directors here also are looking for something different, creating believable characters which gives me great encouragement. During my stint in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam movies, people initially thought it might be difficult for me to look native enough. However, acceptance came and it made me a household name.”

Rahul has worked in films like Champion, Omkara, Arsangam, Torbaaz, and Raat Baaki Hai, among others. He was also seen on the TV show Devon Ke Dev…Mahadev. Rahul will now feature in the Kannada film Kabzaa alongside Kiccha Sudeep. It also stars Upendra and Shriya Saran.

Recently, Rahul had opened up about how he had to face several challenges to make his way back into the entertainment industry. He said that despite working in films for so many years, he had to participate in the reality show Bigg Boss 10 because of lack of work opportunities.