Muzammil Ibrahim opens up on how he was affected by nepotism in Bollywood: “Preference was not talent, but relationship”
Muzammil Ibrahim has opened up about his early years in Bollywood, recalling how actors without established industry connections often struggled to find opportunities. In an exclusive interview with Moneycontrol, the actor spoke about the influence of star families when he entered the film industry in 2007 and how the rise of OTT platforms gradually created more space for outsiders.
Reflecting on the period when he made his debut with Dhokha, Ibrahim said the industry had a limited number of films and that young actors without connections often found themselves competing with several star kids. He did not shy away from describing the situation as one dominated by “Nepo kids.”
“Unfortunately, film industry was too dense with, I don’t shy away from using the word Nepo kids, because I did my debut in the midst of these Nepo babies doing their debut. Like Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Imran Khan, Arjun Kapoor, Tiger Shroff, Varun Dhawan, and the list goes on,” he said.
According to Ibrahim, the issue was not necessarily a lack of talent among outsiders but the relationships producers already had within the industry. He explained that the limited number of films being made at the time made every opportunity important for young actors.
“People don’t realise that industry’s got a very limited pool, and any producer who’s doing a film, he’s got so many options to do these stories, because younger stories were very less to be made, and anybody of us could have done that film,” he said.
He further recalled how producers would often favour actors they already knew, leaving outsiders at a disadvantage.
“The producer would go with only that name, which he had a relationship with, and so there the preference was not talent, but it was always relationship, like who knew the producer better. So obviously they always had the upper hand. So you definitely feel left out,” he added.
Ibrahim, who later found recognition as Agent Avinash in the Special OPS franchise, credited OTT with creating new opportunities for actors who had struggled to find similar visibility in films. “When OTT came, and unfortunately like people were so tired of watching these films with the same people, and so many of these names that I have taken, are not doing work, they don’t find any space right now, because people were tired and sick of them, doing the same kind of work, acting the same way,” he said.
He said streaming platforms allowed actors to showcase a wider range of performances, pointing to his own work in Special OPS as an example. “Now the OTT has given me the option where I can play a role like agent Avinash in Special Ops, and people get to see that, oh you know, this guy stands out. The response has been shared across everyone, like everybody, including Neeraj Pandey told me this,” he said.
Ibrahim also highlighted Jaideep Ahlawat and several other performers who gained greater visibility through OTT. “It has given, not to me, but to other actors, like Jaideep Ahlawat, and all of them, they’re doing OTT, and then helming very good films also, so you know, I think it has opened doors for a lot many actors,” Ibrahim said.
He believes the success of OTT performers has also influenced producers, who are increasingly willing to consider talent beyond established film families.
“It’s done, tremendously well for a lot of actors because, and for audience also, audience is getting to see, what actors should be like, and they’re holding accountable to all of these producers, who only did work with star kids. So even they are a little scared, and you can see that, because of the producers, have changed their gears, and taking up talent from OTT and TV,” he pointed out.
Ibrahim also addressed the perception that OTT success cannot be measured in the same way as theatrical films. Citing Special OPS 2, he said streaming platforms have their own numbers and rankings. “Even for OTT platform it’s not like you don’t see the numbers and people cannot or anybody inside doesn’t know like which OTT platform is doing better or not or which series is doing better or not.”
He added, “So definitely we have numbers for Special Ops 2, Special ops 2 to 1.5 and of other series also and we know the numbers are much bigger than probably the biggest of the films in India and that’s why you know they made into seasons. Numbers are definitely more visible in theatrical but they’re not invisible in OTT. I think this is a misconception,” he said.
The actor also argued that the Hindi film industry needs to reconsider how it allocates budgets, particularly when it comes to star remuneration. “The filmmakers have really gotten smarter with where they should spend. I think where the industry still overspends is like, succumbing to attaching too much to star power and only thinking that only stars will be able to deliver big hits,” he said.
Ibrahim cited Uri: The Surgical Strike as an example of a film that demonstrated the potential of strong content and execution. He pointed out that Vicky Kaushal was comparatively less established before the film and that director Aditya Dhar was also making his debut.
“A very fine example of this was Uri, where the action was mounted in such a big scale and relatively a lesser known actor or a star like Vicky Kaushal was helming it. I think anybody could have helmed that same role and could have delivered the same result because the content and the way it was done, it was so amazing. I remember Vicky was relatively very unknown before Uri. I think it was Aditya Dhar’s debut too. But the team, the production, they made sure that they do it the right way. “And because it was done with the right way, the way probably it would have been done with the star had there been a star in it, but they went all out in it and delivered,” he explained.
On whether audiences come to theatres for stars or stories, Ibrahim said both factors matter, but ultimately content plays an important role in sustaining audience interest. “I think the audience comes to the theatre both for the content and for the star but in both the scenarios if the content is good then definitely the public is going to turn up in theatre and for the star also,” he said.
“If the star who is appearing in the film doesn’t have good content then the footfall will start decreasing and people will stop coming to the theatre,” he said. “And also if these stars keep on delivering bad films eventually people will be put off and wont go to theatres any more or will watch their films at home. I know so many actors whose films people have sworn never to watch,” Ibrahim added.
While Ibrahim has remained active through OTT, he is now looking forward to his next major theatrical project. Speaking about the opportunity, he said the experience could open new doors for him.
“I think a lot of people, it changed the demeanor – lot of change in the demeanor. As it goes around new opportunities are going to happen and lot of doors that are going to open. I am really excited to be a part of the biggest films on Indian screens with such actions. It is also a very important film for Salman sir, so excited to be a part of it. Let’s see what happens and people who already know about it are creating a buzz,” he said.
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