After Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh, Shah Rukh Kartik  Aaryan Fourth Actor To Break The Wall Of Nepotism

Who says the Indian entertainment industry is bolstered by nepotism? The track record during the last  60 years shows the  outsider as the No.1  among the male  superstars.

Rajesh Khanna for whom the term ‘superstar’ was invented had no connection whatsoever with the  Hindi  film industry when he  stormed  into the  No.1  slot in 1969 with Aradhana followed  by a slew of blockbusters which  left the  competition  looking hopelessly inadequate .Among those actors whose careers suffered a massive setback due to the Khanna wave were  the scions of Raj Kapoor’s empire , brothers Shammi and Shashi Kapoor.

This was  the first occasion when nepotism in  the Hindi film industry  got a  big jolt.Then came Amitabh Bachchan  who replaced Rajesh Khanna. The Big B arrived  in the  film industry armed  with  no recommendation  except a letter from Mrs Indira Gandhi which got him an early break in Sunil Dutt’s  Reshma Aur Shera.  After  this, he was on his own,suffering a slew  of flops until Prakash Mehra’s Zanjeer made Mr Bachchan the  overnight No.1 of Hindi cinema.

Zanjeer changed a lot of lives. It turned around Salim-Javed’s  careers, Amitabh Bachchan’s and Prakash Mehra’s careers. It redefined the screenplay for Hindi cinema. The comedy track was done away with, for once. The hero didn’t sing any song. He didn’t even smile in the film. At the time when it was being made all of what Salim-Javed  thought to be USPs in  their script were stumbling blocks.

So many heroes refused Zanjeer. Dharmendra was the first hero it went to. Dev Anand  and Raj Kumar  refused. Dilip Kumar Saab felt that it didn’t jell with the kind of films he was doing. He felt there wasn’t much room for a performance for the hero.

Zanjeer hurtled Amitabh Bachchan  to the No.1  spot. After Rajesh Khanna, the Bachchan’s superstardom withheld any competition for  thirty years.

“I never  knew I would last this  long. Before Zanjeer I had several flops. After Zanjeer my luck changed  overnight. I  went from strength to  strength and now here  I am,” says the  Big B.

Significantly  Shah  Rukh Khan , the  next in line for  the No.1  slot was always ahead  of  the two other  Khan superstars Aamir  and Salman who were  both star kids.

In an old interview with me Shah  Rukh had said, “With due respects to Hrithik,Salman,Aamir and all my other colleagues when you talk Shah Rukh Khan you can’t touch this.I may be wrong.But that’s how I feel.People may think I’m being pompous .But I genuinely feel that I work very hard.And nobody messes around with me.From Motilal to my son Aryan,nobody can touch this.It’s so stupid,but every year since I came into films someone or the other is about to overtake me.When I came I was a nobody.In some ways I’m still a nobody.So overtaking me is no big deal.If you  want to be successful you need to be  yourself.The achievement  is not in removing Amitabh Bachchan or Shah Rukh Khan.The achievement is  in being Amitabh Bachchan or Shah Rukh Kan.I think the magazines that pitch one actor against another miss the point completely.There’s no need to remove one actor for another to succeed.For me Aamir Khan will always be a good actor.I don’t even want to be diplomatic by claiming  there’s a place for everyone.No one takes my place.That’s what’s so unique about me.I guard my place very zealously and I’m proud of it.I can be no.27 or no. 1000.But there cannot be another Shah Rukh Khan. Honestly do you think there’s another Amitabh Bachchan or Rajesh Khanna.”

Kartik Aaryan  faced some major setbacks  like  Akaash Vani, Kanchi The Unbreakable  and  Guest In London until Sonu Ke Titu  Ki Sweety put him  in the top slots.Now three years later Bhool Bhulaiya 2 has perched  him at No.1 where  he  longed to  be just a  few weeks earlier. Before the release of Bhool Bhulaiya 2 he was  among the top contenders. The stupendous  success of   Bhool Bhulaiya 2 has swept all competition aside. Kartik is being offered the sun and the moon and  the stars.

It’s  like he is living in a  dream.

Director  Luv Ranjan who put Kartik on the road  to superstardom says he  is proud  of him. “Did I  foresee this superstardom for  Kartik? I would be lying if I said I did.Of course I  knew he had  the potential . But stardom so big?  There were other two young debutants in  Pyar Ka  Punchnaama  but fate chose Kartik. It is  his good karma , lots of  luck and hard work.”