Prithviraj Sukumaran calls Dulquer Salmaan and himself ‘nepo kids’: I wasn’t even screen-tested

6 months ago | 31 Views

Nepotism is a hot topic of conversation in Bollywood, but not so much down south. Especially so because some of the south’s biggest stars hail from legacy film families. However, in a conversation with Mashable India, he admitted that he and Dulquer Salmaan are ‘nepo kids’, who have had it easier than their counterparts.

‘I am aware there are more talented people than me’

When asked about Dulquer, Prithviraj revealed that they live close to each other in Kerala and are ‘nepo kids.’ When prodded further about it, he said, “I am going to talk just about myself. I understand and accept the fact that I’ve had it easy while coming into the industry. I got my first film only because of my surname. Someone thought I would make a good actor because I’m so and so’s son. I wasn’t even screen-tested.”

However, Prithviraj opined that once in the film industry, it’s the same for everyone when it comes to proving themselves. “I owe my first film only to my surname. But, I owe only my first film to it. Come Friday, you can’t be protected if you aren’t good enough. There’s no board of directors here to help you out. You’re out there to be judged. I’ve had it easy and I’m aware that people more talented than me will be waiting for that opportunity,” he added.

For the unversed, Prithviraj is the son of actors Sukumaran and Mallika. His elder brother Indrajit and sister-in-law Poornima are also actors. In the interview, Prithviraj joked that his wife Supriya Menon calls herself the ‘black sheep of the family’ because she isn’t an actor. Dulquer is the youngest son of legendary actor Mammootty.

Upcoming work

Prithviraj's recent Malayalam film Aadujeevitham, which released as The Goat Life in other languages, is making good business at the box office. He will soon be seen as the antagonist in the Hindi film Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. He is also shooting for Guruvayoor Ambalanadayil and Vilayath Buddha, apart from directing L2: Empuraan with Mohanlal. Dulquer was last seen in the 2023 film King of Kotha. He will star in the Telugu film Lucky Bhaskar soon.