Tanuj Virwani, son of yesteryear actress Rati Agnihotri, recently weighed in on the ongoing nepotism debate in the industry. In an exclusive interview with NDTV's Hardika Gupta, Tanuj, whose career has been marked by steady growth rather than a meteoric rise, shared his perspective on nepotism. When asked if being Rati Agnihotri's son has impacted his career in any way, he said, "Luckily, nepotism didn't impact my career because, firstly, I don't think I had a very big launch. It's not like I was launched by Yash Raj or Dharma Productions; everyone is aware of my own career trajectory. Secondly, my screen surname is Virwani, while my mom's screen surname is Agnihotri, so many people don't even make the connection that we are related, which worked out great for me. I like to be my own person; my failures should be mine, and my successes should be mine as well. That's very important to me."
The Inside Edge star also spoke about the natural inclination of families to support their own. "Nepotism exists, there's no doubt about that. It's prevalent in every industry, but it's more spoken about in ours because it's such a glamorous industry. Tell me, why wouldn't you want the best for your son, daughter, niece, or nephew? That's the way it is. You definitely get better opportunities at the onset of your career if you are related to someone who is either very powerful or very successful in their field," he said.
Tanuj acknowledged that while having influential relatives can provide an initial advantage, it is ultimately personal talent and perseverance that determine long-term success. He shared, "However, after that, you have to prove yourself as an actor. If you don't, the audience won't buy tickets or subscribe to those OTT platforms. There have been many star kids who haven't made it, and there are others who have succeeded at a very high level. Similarly, there are many outsiders who do well these days. At the end of the day, it's easier to get in if there's someone backing you, but if you want to be in it for the long haul, you need to have what it takes."
ICYDK: Rati Agnihotri, an acclaimed actress of the 1980s and 1990s, has starred in several notable films. Some of her prominent films include Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981), Rajput (1982), Kshatriya (1987), Batwara (1989), and Love Story (1981).
On the professional front, Tanuj Virwani made his Bollywood debut with Luv U Soniyo in 2013. He has since appeared in films such as Purani Jeans, One Night Stand and Yodha. Tanuj has also appeared in several web series including Inside Edge, Poison, Code M, Illegal - Justice, Out of Order, The Tattoo Murders and Cartel.
His upcoming projects include Murshid, where he stars alongside Kay Kay Menon and a quirky film titled Johnny Jumper, directed by Mickey Virus director Saurabh Varma. This film also features Vijay Raaz, Brijendra Kalra, Zakir Hussain and Zarina Wahab, and is expected to release in a few months. Additionally, Tanuj will appear in the Applause show DAU Mumbai (Domestic Anti-Terrorist Unit Mumbai), which stars Rahul Dev. He is also working on a rom-com tentatively titled Puppy Love, featuring Tridha Choudhary, Divya Agarwal, and Nikki Tamboli. Furthermore, he is filming the second season of Rana Naidu alongside Rana Daggubati, Venkatesh, and Surveen Chawla among others.