Last Updated:
Naga Chaitanya discussed nepotism on the Raw Talks with VK podcast, calling it “black-and-white.” He stressed equal treatment and praised his film Thandel, rated 3/5 by News18 Showsha.
Naga Chaitanya’s Thandel is running in theaters.
Naga Chaitanya has jumped right into the nepotism debate, but according to him, there’s really no debate at all. The actor, whose father is superstar Nagarjuna and grandfather is legendary Akkineni Nageswara Rao, recently appeared on the Raw Talks with VK podcast, where he shrugged off the controversy, calling it a “black-and-white” topic with no room for confusion.
When the host brought up the privileges that come with being a star kid — like how filmmakers might feel pressured to cast them to stay in the good books of powerful film families — Chaitanya said, “It is black-and-white to me. If your child wants to work in the same field, would you discourage them? It’s as simple as that, so I don’t understand the debate. Of course, I believe everyone should be treated equally, but it’s not my fault or my father’s fault I wanted to be an actor. He won’t discourage me just because it would be nepotism.”
The actor didn’t stop there — he doubled down on the idea that once inside the industry, everyone is on the same playing field. “On a serious note though, come Friday, if my film isn’t good but a newcomer’s is, the audience will watch that instead. Stars have fallen overnight; it has happened before. Coming from a film family, I had opportunities on a platter, no doubt. But once we’re on the playing field, we’re all equal.”
Meanwhile, Chay is currently receiving praise for Thandel. News18 Showsha gave the film 3/5 stars. Our review read, “Naga Chaitanya complements her (Sai Pallavi) skilful performance with equally commendable acting. He is convincing as the youngster who is torn between being a dedicated lover and a dutiful leader. Devi Sri Prasad’s background score, especially the violin, adds beauty to this romance. However, the songs become a bit forgettable in comparison to the background score.”
