Dawn Images

In today’s hot take, Sonya Hussyn believes that colourism and nepotism are just “excuses” used by people who want a career in the entertainment industry but fail to get there.

The actor appeared on Ushna Shah’s talkshow After Hours, where she said, “People make a lot of excuses about problems with their complexion keeping them back or claim that they don’t belong to a certain [industry] family background because ‘nepotism is promoted a lot’ and all of these things that we have heard many actors say.”

Hussyn went on to say that no such thing happened, adding that while favouritism “exists to an extent” if an individual was good at their craft no force could hold them back.

“You need to be sincere to your work instead of focusing on what others are doing or copying others… you need to have your blinkers on and focus on your work.”

Shah, trying to seemingly deflect the statement, said that the showbiz industry was difficult to break into due to limited opportunities and while looks and talent played a role, luck was very important.

Hussyn’s statement is unsettling, especially given the ongoing debates — in all entertainment industries — about the salient role of nepotism in propelling certain people to fame, while other more talented individuals were left behind due to their lack of connections.

Many big names have admitted to the existence of nepotism. Alia Bhatt — who, while a prolific actor in her own right, is still the daughter of director Mahesh Bhatt — in 2018 admitted that nepotism does exist.

“Of late, I have realised that there is no need to defend the nepotistic nature of the industry because it does exist. The reason why it has become an emotional debate is because it is difficult for those who don’t get a chance. If I was on the other side, I would be heartbroken. I may have felt the same way.”

Indian actor Kangana Ranaut explained it well in an open letter to Saif Ali Khan and Karan Johar, in which she said, “Nepotism is a practice where people tend to act upon temperamental human emotions, rather than intellectual tendencies. Businesses that are run by human emotions and not by great value-systems might gain superficial profits. However, they cannot be truly productive and tap into the true potential of a nation of more than 1.3 billion people.”

In the Pakistani context, Sajal Aly said in an earlier interview with Dawn that many power players in the industry do not want to give anyone a chance beyond their own network of friends. “I think that there are so many other talented individuals waiting for their big break. Our directors and producers need to stop playing favourites.”

Director Jasim Abbas alleged that in Pakistan nobody cared about an artist’s work and the only thing television channels asked was who you are related to, adding that it was very difficult for a new person to earn their place in show business.

Model Sabeeka Imam highlighted how “it seems like you need zero on-screen acting experience and you could also debut with both the amazing Yumna [Zaidi] and Sajal”. “Mujhe bhi itni hi achi LUCK chahiye [I want this kind of good luck] where I don’t have to earn it or prove myself first and it just gets handed to me on a plate!” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

She didn’t take any names but she was possibly referring to Azaan Sami Khan — the son of Zeba Bakhtiar and Adnan Sami Khan — who debuted with Aly and Zaidi in Ishq-e-Laa.

Nepotism stifles diversity and puts certain people at a rather targeted disadvantage when connections are favoured over talent. Opportunities based on family ties instead of merit don’t just make the playing field uneven, they set the industry back by sidelining genuine talent and limiting the discovery of better artists. This leads to audiences being deprived of richer and more varied entertainment — not everyone wants to see the same few families on their screens, directed and produced by people with the same last names.

Don’t even get us started on Hussyn’s comment about colourism not existing in the industry. South Asian entertainment thrives on putting fairer actors at the forefront of our screens, and often casting dark-skinned actors to portray the villain. This bias suggests that fair skin is synonymous with beauty, virtue, and success, while darker skin is linked to less desirable traits.

Products, advertisements and television shows all showcase content that claims that fair skin is better. It was only four years ago that Fair and Lovely — which literally directly linked fairness with loveliness — changed their name to Glow and Lovely, which is not much better. To make matters worse, many actors endorse skin-lightening products, perpetuating the idea that lighter skin is more desirable — throwback to Sajal Aly’s whitening cream ad leaving her fans disappointed.

Having fairer skin definitely puts you at an advantage in the entertainment industry, just like nepotism does. Hussyn admitting to this would’ve been much better than her dismissal of people’s legitimate struggles. If she hasn’t faced these issues, that’s great for her, but to dismiss other people’s concerns and problems is incredibly tone deaf.