First, let me start out by getting my cynical side out of the way. Bollywood is an industry that thrives on recall. Because, popularity, for reasons good or bad. So it works for everyone if the controversy keeps getting fuelled with open letters and the like. I won't be surprised if Karan Johar, Kangana Ranaut and Saif Ali Khan are in the Koffee with Karan studio or in Karan Johar's actual living room right now, clinking their glasses of bubbly and celebrating the stupendous success of the episode.
And clearly, Kangana and Saif are in need of some celebration given the giant dud Rangoon turned out to be. But even more so, since Kangana herself has not given a hit since the 2015 Tanu weds Manu returns, appearing in two snoozy sounding films 'I love NY' (with Sunny Deol, why?) and 'Katti Batti' (with Irfan Khan, even bigger why?). It is unfair pressure on the girl, I say, to be asked to constantly carry the film on her shoulders. Which, is why, Rangoon would have been an even bigger disappointment, considering that she now had at least a great director and good actors to work with. Saif Ali Khan needed the success even more, his last hit being the 2013 film Race 2. Films like Bullett Raja (with a double t in bullet), Humshakals and Happy Ending are forgettable at best. And I am fairly certain he is glad they are. Phantom wasn't half bad, to be honest, but for whatever reason, it did not work.
So coming back to point - this is a good way to get some solid publicity going. They get recall, the media gets a whole lot of content and advertisers get more bang for their buck. Everyone wins.
But the more believing side of me finds the debate interesting at two levels. One, no other industry is as inclusive as Bollywood. Everyone has an opinion on it. Nepotism is seen at various levels across industries. From Bollywood, the debate has now moved to a more conceptual level of understanding of the term, its merits, demerits and the like. In other words, it is making India lean towards practical philosophising. I, for one, have no complaints. It is way better than talking of bland confusions about whether a baby name is 'Timur' or 'Taimur' and who was the blood thirsty killer, who is forged with iron (something).
The second level of interest in this debate is the one person missing from this conversation - Shahid Kapoor, the only other person who was present at the famed interview and who has wisely refrained from jumping into the fray. Now, this guy will have a view on nepotism like no other. Why? Because he is an industry kid too, but not really. You know what I mean? But with perspective, comes wisdom too, I guess, so he prefers not to say anything.
If I remember correctly, his wife had also mentioned something to the effect of industry biases (correct me if I am wrong) when she appeared on the show. And it is laughable to think people anywhere don't push their own. It is human nature. It is wrong, however, to hold others back from getting their due by creating rampant artificial blocks, which I think is the bigger point of pain for everyone concerned. Even then, though, I think the entire argument will eventually not count for very much because a majority of the star kids currently lined up will turn out to be semi-performers at best.
Of the top 5 biggest grossers in 2017 so far, none feature star kids, unless you consider Salman Khan one. The same was true for 2016. Ultimately Bollywood is a business, and one that loves to make big money (curiously enough, something that cannot be said of every other industry). So the stardom of those who rake in the cashes cannot be stopped - it can be halted, delayed, manipulated, made endlessly hard, and it happens everywhere, but no one keeps a good one down. Ms Ranaut, of course, being the shining example of this phenomenon.
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