Zoya Akhtar says people complain because they’re not in a Dharma film, 'If you’re acting, you’re in the industry'

The conversations around nepotism, insiders and outsiders, continue to resurface—most recently around star-kid-led projects such as Nadaaniyan and Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies. Now, filmmaker Zoya Akhtar has addressed the issue head-on, offering her perspective on how the Hindi film industry actually functions.In a clip from The Swaddle podcast that has been widely shared on Reddit, Zoya questioned the very framework through which the industry is often viewed. “Firstly, we have to stop looking at the industry like it’s a room, where you’re either inside or outside. The industry is an infrastructure. Anybody can do what they want. Anybody can make a film. You can come in here, you can do what you want,” she said. Zoya further argued that much of the anger around exclusion is often misdirected. “See, the point is, a lot of people complain that they are not in the industry. But they’re actually complaining because they’re not in a Dharma film. You understand?” she said.Elaborating on her point, she added, “It’s not about not being in the industry. You want to act? You can act. And if you’re acting, you’re in the industry.”Backing her argument with broader observations, Zoya pointed out that newcomers without film-family backgrounds continue to break through. “You actually look at the statistics, every year more people who become stars are those who come from outside Mumbai, and from outside the industry, so to speak,” she said.She added, “They weren’t born into the industry, right? They weren’t born to someone who was already working here.” Zoya also cited her own journey, noting that despite being born into a film family, it took her nearly seven years to make her first film, while her long-time collaborator and business partner Reema Kagti—an outsider from Assam—made her debut earlier.Zoya had earlier addressed the backlash surrounding The Archies while speaking to Komal Nahta on his podcast Game Changers. Reflecting on the trolling faced by the film’s young cast, she said, “They all are very talented and I would love to work with them again.”Taking responsibility for the film, she added, “What I felt terrible about was that they were newcomers. I auditioned them. We gave them the roles. A very professional crew dressed them. There were all the best names in the business involved. I workshopped with them. I okayed the take, so it was me.” Zoya concluded by acknowledging the impact of online backlash, saying, “They just did what I asked them to do. I didn’t like the fact that they were being almost bullied. It wasn’t nice, it was all my responsibility, so I did feel guilty, but then they asked me not to.”