Rajkummar Rao says being replaced overnight by a star kid "unfair"

After captivating audiences with his performance in Srikanth, actor Rajkummar Rao is now immersed in promoting his upcoming film, Mr & Mrs Mahi, which also features Janhvi Kapoor in a lead role.

Recently, both actors engaged in an extensive conversation with producer Karan Johar, where the topic of the insider-outsider debate in Bollywood was discussed. Although Rajkummar asserted that he does not dwell much on nepotism, he admitted to having been affected by it.

During the discussion, Karan Johar asked Rajkummar for his views on the nepotism debate and whether he believed the industry's treatment of outsiders was unfair.

Rajkummar responded, "I am somebody who loves cinema, worships it. I have grown up watching cinema and trained in filmmaking and acting. When the nepotism debate started, I got this question asked a lot, and my answer has always been the same I don’t care where you come from as long as you are talented and know your job."

"I just want to see the talent on screen if I am investing my time and money watching you. I should see your hard work or you have no right to be there. Being an insider the only thing that might help is that you might get a few opportunities sooner. After that your work will speak, so eventually you will have to leave or slow down and figure out different ways.," he added.

As the conversation progressed, Karan Johar noted how some well-known outsiders have leveraged the nepotism narrative to generate striking headlines.

He also debunked the myth that actors receive film offers at Bollywood parties and events.

Sharing his own experiences, Rajkummar Rao said, "When I had just moved to Mumbai, even I was told that you have to attend parties and events to meet people and make contacts. Once I was supposed to do a film and was replaced overnight with somebody who was known and happened to be a star kid. In my mind, I could think that it is not fair, just because you can control things, have contacts, and make some calls. Even an outsider who would have been successful could have done the same. That film never got made, but to just use your power in the wrong way is unfair."

Rajkummar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor’s Mr and Mrs Mahi is set to release in theatres on May 31.