In 2017, Varun Dhawan was mired in a controversy when he yelled ‘Nepotism Rocks’ along with Karan Johar and Saif Ali Khan at IIFA. But looks like the actor has had a change of heart since. His perception about the famous nepotism debate in the industry, is a stark change from what it was. Varun, who has been featured on the cover of GQ magazine, spoke about his views on nepotism, which are in complete contradiction to what he has said in the past. During a conversation with the magazine, the actor said, “Nepotism exists! It’s a part of our industry. It’s not good. More people from outside the industry should be given a chance. And why not? My father came in that way.”
Talking about David Dhawan, he continued saying, “It’s
easy for people to make assumptions. But uska baap star bana kaise? My dad was
born in Agartala. When he lived in Bombay, he shared his house with four
people. When I was born, my family lived in a 1BHK at Carter Road. My father’s
first car was a taxi, a second hand Ambassador that he painted into a normal
car. His achievements are tremendous, [as are] the sacrifices he’s made to put
the family on the map. He’s my star, my hero, my superhero.”
Talking about Varun’s first comment on the nepotism debate - it started when Varun joined Karan Johar and Saif Ali Khan onstage to collect his award. Saif teased Varun saying, "You are here because of your Papa” and Varun Dhawan had responded, "And you're here because of your mummy." Karan Johar had then added, "I am here because of my Papa." Then the trio had said in unison: "Nepotism rocks."
I express my apology and regret .. I am extremely sorry if I have offended or hurt anyone with that act..
— Varun MAUJI Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) July 18, 2017
After receiving backlash on his comments on the stage, Varun had issued an apology. Taking to social media, the Judwaa actor had tweeted, “I express my apology and regret .. I am extremely sorry if I have offended or hurt anyone with that act.”