The Archies: Suhana Khan, Khushi Kapoor, Agastya Nanda and Vedang Raina were compensated ‘equally’, say makers |

Zoya Akhtar, the renowned filmmaker behind Netflix’s “The Archies,” recently discussed how all newcomers were treated equally in the fim. The project marked the introduction of several star kids, including Suhana Khan (Shah Rukh Khan’s daughter), Khushi Kapoor (Boney Kapoor and Sridevi’s daughter), Agastya Nanda (Amitabh Bachchan’s grandson), along with Dot, Vedang Raina, and Yuvraj Menda.

In an interview with Mid-Day, Zoya was asked how much were the newcomers paid for the movie. While Zoya did not reveal that, her producer Reema Kagti said that all newcomers were treated equally on the sets. Zoya even defended her decision of casting newcomers by addressing issues of privilege, access, and social capital. While acknowledging the frustration stemming from unequal opportunities, she expressed that focusing on star kids might not be the solution to the broader challenges in the industry.

Earlier, during a conversation with The Juggernaut, Zoya clarified her perspective on nepotism, stating, “Nepotism is when I take public money or someone else’s money and favour my friends and family. Nepotism cannot be when I take my own money! Who are you to tell me what to do with my money? It’s my money! If tomorrow I want to spend my money on my niece, it’s my problem. At the end of the day, if a director or an actor gets another job, it is solely on the audiences. Viewers decide if they want to see them or not.”

Zoya’s remarks shed light on the complexities of the entertainment industry, where discussions around fairness, opportunities, and talent continue to be at the forefront.