'Kasautii Zindagi Kay' actor Hiten Paintal on nepotism: 'It’s just a way to bring down people'

Hiten Paintal has featured in several popular TV shows and movies like Kasautii Zindagi Kay, Bachna Ae Haseeno, Rascals, among others. After a stint on TV, he took a break to pursue his career in acting. However, he returned to the small screen after 14 years with the show Muskuraane Ki Vajah Tum Ho.

Hiten is the son of veteran actor Kanwarjit Paintal. But, for the actor, his acting journey was a path he carved with his hard work. For the past few years, the word nepotism has taken over almost every Bollywood discourse. Sharing his take on nepotism the actor says it exists in every profession, but it is viewed negatively only in showbiz. The actor admits that star kids have easy access but they still have to prove their worth.

“Today, if someone is a doctor and if his/her child decides to be a doctor then that’s not nepotism. If some children decide to be actors like their parents, then why do people call that nepotism? I don’t understand. It’s just a way to bring down people. Nepotism is in every field but you can’t make everything about nepotism. Yes, there is bias in the industry with selective people. The only advantage I had was I didn’t have to wait for the directors and producers as the casting agents came to me. It’s not that people gave me work, it was just that I could easily meet people. I have faced a lot of rejection but it’s a part of the game,” he says.

The actor also stresses the uncertainty in showbiz. “The industry is unpredictable and I don’t know where I would see myself five years from now. You are doing great for a few years and then suddenly you have no work. It’s an insecure industry so I don’t think a lot. Probably, five years later, I will be happy and content with my family and stay happy, good, bad or ugly... I don’t know. I may be married and have kids, you never know,” he signs off.