Meera Chopra, cousin of Priyanka and Parineeti Chopra, recently shared her challenges in breaking into Bollywood despite a successful career in Tamil and Telugu cinema. In a candid interview, Meera expressed frustration over the industry’s “cult-like” nature, where insiders enjoy significant advantages, leaving outsiders to struggle for recognition.
Though she debuted in Tamil cinema with Anbe Aaruyire (2005), Meera described Bollywood as an entirely different challenge. “In the South, I didn’t face the struggles I encountered here. Breaking into Bollywood was like starting from scratch,” she shared, highlighting how difficult it was to navigate the industry without insider connections.
Meera painted a vivid picture of Bollywood’s exclusivity, explaining how networking plays a crucial role. “It’s a very close-knit industry, and getting work often depends on being in the ‘right’ groups,” she said. Unlike the more accessible South Indian industry, Bollywood felt like a “cult,” where making friends with the right people was key to success.
She also voiced concerns over the industry’s preference for star kids, often at the expense of talented outsiders. “If I were an insider, I would have done 20 films by now, even if I didn’t have the talent,” she claimed, pointing out that some actors get repeated opportunities despite lacking the necessary skills.
Meera revealed the emotional toll of losing out on roles to star kids, noting that many auditions felt pointless. However, she did acknowledge Alia Bhatt as one of the few insiders who genuinely deserved her success, praising her talent in an otherwise flawed system.
Meera’s insights add to the ongoing debate around Bollywood’s insider-outsider divide, spotlighting the struggles that talented actors from outside the industry face.
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