Arshad Warsi, who is renowned for his candour and witty remarks, talked candidly about the difficulties of succeeding in the movie business, even for people from families with a history in the business.
Arshad feels that success in Bollywood still primarily depends on personal effort and good fortune, despite the widespread notion that connections open all doors.
In a candid chat with the Times of India, Arshad spoke about his children’s dreams of becoming actors and the reality that awaits them.
“Yes, both my son and daughter want to act. My son is currently assisting Siddharth Anand and has assisted Raju Hirani. Of course, I’m scared — it is a tough job today. Acting is not an easy profession anymore as the success rate is so low. Out of 150 crore, a handful become actors,” he admitted.
His 21-year-old son, Zeke, has already begun learning the ropes as an assistant director under some of Bollywood’s finest filmmakers.
Zoe, his 18-year-old daughter, is still in school but has a similar love for films. Yet, despite being a well-established name in the industry, Arshad is determined to let his children find their own way — without favours or shortcuts.
When asked if he could use his connections to help them land roles, Arshad responded with refreshing honesty.
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“Nobody can help anybody here — you have to make your own way. I can’t make a call to a director and ask them to invest hundreds of crores in my kids. Koi mere bete pe satta kyun lagayega (Why would anyone bet on my kid)? Even a casual call to a filmmaker to meet my kids means to expect them to take them in their project, which I will not do. Why would anybody do that? Why would filmmakers bet on my kids if I ask them to do so? Why should I recommend my kids to anyone?”
On the work front, Arshad was recently seen in a cameo role in Aryan Khan’s web series The Bads of Bollywood, where he played a crime lord, which was a brief but memorable performance.
He’s now gearing up for Bhagawat Chapter One: Raakshas.
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