Nepotism : beyond Bollywood and mere favors

The debate on nepotism has taken a spur. Suddenly everyone's talking about it. Weird how the audience talks more about someone after their death than when they were alive. Nepotism does exist and no matter how star kids would like to address it or deny its existence altogether, it prevails. 

We talk about nepotism in Bollywood very often because it is one of the most sought after professions and it is there for everyone to see. Truth is nepotism does exist everywhere, from small shops to big corporations. We can't deny it living in a country where most businesses are family-owned. People in power tend to recruit employees who are relatives even though there are contenders who are more qualified or capable. There is no level playing field. Nepotism extends beyond just the recruitment process to promotions and all kinds of favor. We may have laws like the Companies Act, 2013, to keep a check on nepotism but to change the ground reality would require a lot more effort. Imagine working under someone incompetent because they happen to be your employer's child. Some have more access and resource from birth. For example, if a businessman child wants to start a business. Even if he/she doesn't join their parent's business they will have more connections, opportunities, support, and understanding because of their upbringing. Usually, when we talk of nepotism we talk of exceptionally talented individuals whose successes were limited because of their humble background. But what about people who need their share of trial and error. They don't get a fair chance to grow and learn from their failures. They have very few chances and a lot of pressure because often they are their parent's only hope.

Talking about Bollywood, it just isn't about the movies they get, it's also about the stardom even before they enter the movie industry. People are mad about infants because they are someone's daughter/son, niece/nephew, or sibling. The madness isn't just limited to them but extends to all their family members. We are so obsessed with Bollywood that we want to know what a particular person eats morning till night. We read about what they wear, what they think, and who they hang out with. Sonam Wangchuk said in his TED Talk "I am not Phunsukh Wangdu. We need more than movies and cricket. Our country does not need more films". We give unnecessary importance to Bollywood and Cricket. We accept someone as a star just because they are someone's relative. We don't see the reason. We are the ones who give them that power. We are the ones who watch such content. We are the ones that fight mad crazy with our friends for someone we idolize.

Citing examples of individuals who've made riches in a field though being an outsider isn't an argument that's gonna hide nepotism and groups. It's good to believe in one's talent but it is stupid to refute the privilege one has gotten to reach that far. If favoritism isn't checked and we let the idea that power and money should stay within a family prevail, systems would collapse because then we will be compromising with quality and talent.