In a candid conversation with Raj Shamani, Bollywood actor and filmmaker Aamir Khan opened up about the underwhelming performance of his son Junaid Khan’s debut film, ‘Loveyapa‘.
The romantic comedy, co-starring Khushi Kapoor, faced significant backlash, which Aamir attributes to the ongoing nepotism debate in the industry .
The ‘Loveyapa’ Experience
‘Loveyapa’, directed by Advait Chandan, is a remake of the 2022 Tamil film ‘Love Today’. Despite the anticipation surrounding the film, it garnered mixed reviews and struggled at the box office, earning approximately ₹12 crore .
Aamir Khan expressed his disappointment over the film’s reception, stating, “I think the film received a lot of negative backlash. It was heavily trolled and got dragged into the nepotism debate, labelled as a ‘nepo kid’ film” .
A Father’s Perspective
Reflecting on his son’s journey, Aamir shared that he was more anxious about ‘Loveyapa’ than any of his own projects. “As a father, I was ten times more stressed for my son’s film,” he admitted .
Despite the film’s performance, Aamir praised Junaid’s dedication, noting his ability to transform into his character, which was quite different from his real personality .
Addressing the Nepotism Debate
The nepotism discourse in Bollywood has been a contentious topic, often overshadowing the talents of star kids.
Aamir emphasized the importance of evaluating actors based on merit rather than lineage, stating that both he and Junaid are not proponents of leveraging familial ties for success .
Interestingly, Junaid had previously addressed the nepotism issue during the release of his debut film ‘Maharaj’, mentioning that he hadn’t faced significant backlash at that time .
Looking Ahead
Despite the setbacks, Aamir remains optimistic about Junaid’s future in the industry. He believes that experiences like ‘Loveyapa’ serve as valuable learning opportunities, helping young actors grow and refine their craft .
Junaid is currently working on his next project, ‘Ek Din’, alongside Sai Pallavi, which is being backed by Aamir himself .