Tusshar Kapoor, who made his acting debut in 2001 with Mujhe Kuch Kehna Hai, has spent over two decades in Bollywood trying to find stable ground in an industry that often measures success harshly. While he has been part of several hit films such as the Golmaal series, The Dirty Picture and Shootout at Wadala, most of these were ensemble films and maintaining a strong individual fan base remained a challenge for him.
Now, looking back on his journey, Tusshar Kapoor has opened up about the kind of scrutiny he faced, especially in the early years of his career. In an interview, he shared that the discussion around nepotism, which is now widely debated, had already started during his time. According to him, being born into a film family often came with more criticism than privilege, especially from some sections of the media. He felt that the media was often more focused on finding flaws rather than supporting his efforts, and he had to develop thick skin to deal with the negativity. He mentioned how some people in the press would go as far as mocking a star kid’s looks and deliberately trying to bring them down.
Despite all this, Tusshar believes that he managed to stay grounded because of his willpower. After 24 years in the film industry, he sees it as a strength that helped him move past distractions and focus on his work. He pointed out that he didn’t join films to meet anyone else’s expectations but found himself constantly judged and doubted. However, he continues to place his trust in the audience, who he believes are fair in their judgement and only respond to what they see on screen, not where someone comes from.
He also addressed the common idea that actors with film backgrounds have it easier, saying that while it may be true that getting a debut is simpler for star kids, the road after that is filled with challenges and constant public scrutiny. According to him, once you’re in, every choice you make is questioned more than it would be for someone without those family ties.
Currently, Tusshar Kapoor is back on screen with Kapkapiii, a horror-comedy directed by Sangeeth Sivan which was released on May 23. The film also features Shreyas Talpade in a key role and marks another step in Tusshar’s steady, determined journey in cinema.
