The Archies | Zoya Akhtar breaks silence on 'nepotism' in casting: 'There are seven kids on poster and media only spoke about three'

Zoya Akhtar, who is currently gearing up for the release of her upcoming film, The Archies, recently spoke out about the controversy surrounding nepotism in her casting.

The coming-of-age musical drama, which is based on the well-known American comic book "The Archie," stars Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana Khan, Sridevi's daughter Khushi Kapoor, and Amitabh Bachchan's grandson Agastya Nanda in their feature film debuts.

Zoya Akhtar talks about The Archies casting

The filmmaker Zoya Akhtar contended that the media's portrayal of the nepotism controversy in the film business is hypocritical, given its preference for highlighting star kids above other worthy individuals. Using her next movie The Archies as an example, Zoya noted that the four other newcomers have received less attention than the three celebrity star-kids on the roster, Agastya Nanda, Suhana Khan, and Khushi Kapoor. She refused to acknowledge, though, that if she hadn't originally cast them—in the lead roles, no less—this wouldn't have occurred.

Also Read: The Archies: From Suhana Khan to Khushi Kapoor, who plays what in Zoya Akhtar's upcoming directorial

"You robbed their moment and it's heartbreaking to see. We've put seven kids out there. You've just ignored four. And you took away their moment. So sorry. Your problem,” Zoya said in an interview with Film Companion. 

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The Archies, a popular comic book series adaption, also stars Yuvraj Menda, Vedang Raina, Aditi "Dot" Saigal, and Mihir Ahuja. The seven actors collectively portray the well-known group of teenage comic book characters. When questioned candidly about how the three-star youngsters were cast, Zoya and her longstanding creative partner Reema Kagti revealed that they just picked the actors who gave the finest performances for the parts.

Zoya said that The Archies is not her first rodeo; rather, it is her fifth movie. She says she is under no obligation to cast anyone and always chooses candidates based on what would work for the movie. They held a lot of auditions, she said. These are people who have been tested and who are out there seeking to be actors. And she chose the person she felt would work the best, the filmmaker remarked.

The Archies will be released on Netflix on December 7, 2023.

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