On June 14, actor Sushant Singh Rajput lost his life to suicide; something which has started a huge debate on nepotism in the film industry, and especially Bollywood.

Speaking on the topic, his Dil Bechara co-actor Saif Ali Khan revealed that even he has been a ‘victim of nepotism’.

In a chat with senior journalist Kaveree Bamzai for The Indian Express, he said:

Nepotism in its purest form is something that even I have been a victim of. But nobody’s interested in that. Businesses work like that. I am not going to take names but somebody’s dad has rung up and said don’t take him, take him in the movie. All that happens and it has happened to me.

Saif said that there are many ways in which nepotism manifests itself and favoritism is one of them. Adding that it is something that has made him suffer too. 

And while the actor seemed pretty convinced about it, people were not too impressed with the oversimplification of the concept at convinience. 

Saif soon started trending on Twitter and here are some of the reactions:

Since there seems to be confusion about this, nepotism is defined as: ‘The practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs’.

So now, if someone’s family also enjoys the similar power, not getting projects can be termed as many things but not nepotism.

Saif did add though, that he was happy to see people like Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Pankaj Tripathi, with no film background, becoming a household name.

But his statement on nepotism is going to follow him for a while it seems.