There is a new wave of star kids who are not pursuing film projects. Many of the Gen Z tribe are making their way into influencers, stand-up comics and more
In August, when Alia Kashyap was on the cover of Digital Magazine, the voice of fashion, she was not announcing her entry in Bollywood. Director Anurag Kashyap’s 20-year-old daughter is a digital creator. Her lifestyle/fashion/beauty channel has close to 93K subscribers on YouTube and 247K followers on Instagram. She collaborates with international brands such as Fashion Nova, Lounge and Derma-e. And she is a business management student at Chapman University in California.
Nepotism has always been the elephant in the room in Bollywood. Actors often raise legs with families in the film industry. But like Alia, there’s a growing tribe of star kids today who aren’t about what movie they’re debuting in or where they’re partying – they’re going their own way. Fitness Influencer Krishna Shroff – whose brother Tiger went as expected and is now in news Heropanti 2 – tells The Hindu Weekend“It’s not easy being separated from what my family does. The automatic assumption is that I will do the same. But I wanted to create my own space. Being recognized for my vision, not just my family name, is a huge achievement for me.
And social media has a big role. While some have gone the impressive and model route (Alana Pandey, Alaviya Jaaferi), others are using their platforms to follow different paths. Navya Naveli Nanda, a descendant of the Bachchan family, recently launched Project Nyayari in association with Pink Legal, a platform for women’s rights. Their aim is to make free legal counseling accessible to women. Aamir Khan’s daughter, Ira’s Agatsu Foundation focuses on mental health awareness. And Jamie Lever has done stand-up comedy.
“They [star kids] They are well aware that it is very important to circulate on social media. However, this is not the only thing, as the popularity on these platforms may be short-lived,” says Ankur Pathak, entertainment editor huffpost. That said, he believes that at some point, these big followers could become capital for movie deals. “Not many people would turn down Dharma Productions’ offer for the next Student of the year, “He laughs.
We meet some of these trailblazers to find out what makes them tick.
Krishna Shroff
Krishna Shroff
@kisushroff; Follower: 965K, Fitness; Parents: Jackie Shroff, actor / Ayesha Shroff, producer
Krishna turned to fitness after a bad breakup about five years ago. “I needed to prioritize myself and was looking for something transformative. It was inspiring to see how far I could push myself physically and emotionally. In fitness, I found discipline, a drive and focus in my life that I didn’t have before,” said the 28-year-old, who recently participated in the Nutty® Peanut Butter digital campaign.
Krishna found that the best thing about being in the public eye is that it “gives you a platform, an automatic following, and support”. And when someone is putting himself out there for judgment and criticism, it has made him stronger. “When I was a teenager I used to let these outside voices influence me, but the older I get, the more I use it as fuel to keep going. It is important to be grateful for this platform, because I realize that a very small percentage of people get a chance to live it,” she adds. Like most fitness accounts, she has “more creeps than trolls”. A thicker skin helps deter his comments, she says.
Social media is now a professional space for her, where she collaborates with brands and networks with interesting people. “I’ve also carved a niche for myself and am able to express different kinds of creativity,” she says. Krishna has appeared on the cover of magazines like Filmfare (Me), fitlook And Human. You’ll also find collaborations with the NBA, Zivame and Social Goat on his feed.
An ardent fan of MMA, she and brother Tiger have established MMA Matrix, a fitness center based in Mumbai with a growing number of franchises across the country. They also use the stage to organize MMA fight nights. The sixth edition of the event recently concluded in Dubai.
Jamie Lever
Jamie Lever
@its_jamielever; Follower: 677K, Comic; Parents: Johnny Lever, actor / Sujatha Lever
“I wanted to go by JJ, because my real surname is Janumala. But early in my career, people wanted me to use my association with my father to better connect with my audience,” says Jamie. While the 33-year-old expressed some regret at giving up, she is happy now that she is able to carry on the legacy of clean, family-friendly humor her father is known for.
He has chosen stage and small screen as his medium. “But it was when the pandemic started that I seriously started building my social media brand. I had almost 100K followers at that time [now she’s at 809K and counting],” she says, adding that earlier she used to only use Instagram as a portfolio to showcase her work. Now, she does trending reels as well as paid partnerships with Cadbury and Amazon Prime. “The formats are completely different, and it took me a while to get used to it. The advantage of this is that I get a chance to connect directly with my audience.” She reads all his comments, even the trolls and haters. “I have learned not to engage with them or take it to heart. I understand that Indian audiences can be emotional, and try not to hurt their sensibilities,” she says genuinely.
The reach and engagement he has built drives his work to directors and producers as well. “After putting myself out there on social media, I have had more job opportunities finding their way to me. Talent managers are looking for people who can create unique content that breaks up the clutter,” she explains. Some of her favorites to follow are @focusedindian (Karan Sonawane), @mostlysane (Prajakta Koli) and @aupmanyu (Abhishek Upamanyu).
Alia Kashyap
@aliyahkashyap; Follower: 247K, Digital Producer; Parents: Anurag Kashyap, Director / Aarti Bajaj, Film Editor
Alia’s love for fashion is reflected in her YouTube and Instagram feeds. Her self-styled look has given her style and recognition. “Social media helps me interrupt all that [being reduced to just being someone’s daughter, friend or girlfriend] Because here, I’m the one controlling the story. It’s the most authentic to me,” she explained in an interview. the voice of fashion. Today, the self-confessed introvert shares glimpses of her personal life (whether it’s snapping photos with her American boyfriend or impromptu videos with her dad. Remember ‘Ask My Dad’s Weirdest Questions’ which went up in June and hit 4.4 million More views than?) and collaborations with fashion and lifestyle brands.
Of course, putting himself out there means he’s no stranger to controversy—not unlike his father. In February, one of her posts (a picture of her in lingerie) went viral for all the wrong reasons. After harassment, trolling and threats, she posted, “I have tried to ignore harassment and address it, but the truth is we need to speak out about it because these types of comments contribute to rape culture.” which affects all women…”
The 20-year-old defended her stance, saying, “They are the same men who are okay with following me and consuming the content I post, yet choose to harass me. If I disagree, you are free to unfollow me. Nothing I do or post is an invitation to sexual assault. Nothing any woman does, could ever happen.”
Navya Naveli Nanda
@nawanand; Follower: 417K, Entrepreneur; Parents: Shweta Bachchan-Nanda, Writer / Nikhil Nanda, Businessman
Navya’s work is largely women-centric. She is the United Nations Women’s Aide for Generational Equality “to forward the message about sexual and reproductive health and rights”. The 24-year-old also co-founded Aara Health with the aim of making healthcare (mental and physical) more accessible to women. The online community also shares information on emotional and financial abuse, intimacy and health insurance.
Project Naveli, which she co-founded in collaboration with Aspire for Her, is a network for women entrepreneurs – or Entrepreneurs, as they call it. The open platform promises “resources, networking opportunities, mentorship, guidance and community support”. Membership has its benefits, such as free AWS credits and Instamojo discounts. Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi recently commented during a panel discussion on Barkha, “People like Navya are going to emerge in the world scene in a deeper sense and we are all looking at them and saying how proud we are. Is.” Dutt’s Mojo Story.
other star kids
where are the boys?
While researching this article, we realized that there was a curious trend. As much as Bollywood daughters are curating content and setting Instagram on fire, sons seem to be more relaxed on this front. Since social media presence is a must for any aspiring actor who is starting a film career – like Ahan Shetty (of Sajid Nadiadwala) tadpi) and Karan Deol (who is collaborating with his uncle Abhay Deol) – more active in this field.
But others like Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan (who is debuting in Yash Raj Films’ Maharaja this year) can’t be found online. Saif Ali Khan’s son Ibrahim used to grow up on Instagram, but is now away from the platform. Here are some boys who have a large number of followers due to family ties, but who are very reticent with their postings.
reel route
Let’s not forget some of the new Gen Zs who have stepped into the limelight following in the footsteps of their parents.
Shanaya Kapoor
@shanayakapoor02; Follower: 887K, actor; Parents: Sanjay Kapoor, Actor / Maheep Kapoor, Entrepreneur
Shanaya is as comfortable behind the camera as she is in front. She was an assistant director on the sets of Janhvi Kapoor starrer, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl. The 21-year-old, who is preparing for her Bollywood debut under Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, says, “My parents were very supportive, as they knew it would give me an insight into their world.”
Her social feed is fashion forward, as it is, and her mantra is “keep it real”. It adds that it also affects the kind of collaboration that she does. Their latest edition is with Naturally, a skincare brand inspired by nature. She is also a part of the #LabelSquad of designer Ritu Kumar, who is the face of Hazurilal Jewelers and has paid partnership with Misfit by boat.
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