Before Sharmin Segal in Heeramandi, these actors were called out for lacklustre acting, putting nepotism in spotlight

The Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar controversy around Sharmin Segal's role and performance has once again put the scanner on nepotism that is still largely prevalent in the Indian film industry

The entertainment industry often finds itself embroiled in debates over nepotism, and the recent criticism of Sharmin Segal for her role in Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar has reignited this discussion. She happens to be the creator Sanjay Leela Bhansali's niece and audience is convinced that she bagged a role in the latest Hindi web series on Netflix not on merit but due to her 'mamaji'. The Indian film industry has seen numerous instances where star kids are accused of landing roles due to their lineage, overshadowing equally talented outsiders. This has led to social media backlash and heated debates. Here's a look at the similar situations and other notable instances where nepotism was called out:

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Sharmin Segal in Heeramandi: Sharmin faced backlash for her performance as Alamzeb in the series. Critics and audiences described her acting as "expressionless," and many attributed her casting to her familial connection with the showrunner, Sanjay Leela Bhansali. While Sharmin has said that Bhansali is only Sir for her on the sets and she gets no leverage being his relative, netizens are not really convinced.

Suhana Khan in The Archies: Being Shah Rukh Khan's kids, all the three little ones Aryan Khan, Suhana, AbRam receive immense love from fans all across. However, all eyes were on Suhana's debut, The Archies. Despite it being her first ever project, audience didn't show her any leniency and criticized her acting skills. They blamed her being SRK's daughter as her only merit for bagging the role. Agastya Nanda, who is Amitabh Bachchan's grandson and Khushi Kapoor, who is from the Kapoor Khandaan, were met with the same fate.

Ananya Panday in Student of the Year 2 and Liger: It is only recently with her films like Gehraiyaan and Kho Gaye Hum Kahaan that Ananya is being thought of as an actress with potential. In her debut, where she was compared with Alia Bhatt, and more recent Liger, the young actress was targeted by trolls in the most heartbreaking way. But the actress has emerged stronger and is dedicated to change the perception about her.

Sara Ali Khan for Love Aaj Kal 2: The actress who has a great fan following ever since she made her debut, was slammed for her 'overacting' in her film with Kartik Aaryan. It brought back the debate how star kids keep getting movies despite lacklustre performances.

Sonam Kapoor: The actress' video interview clips have become memes with netizens pointing out how confidently she talks like a veteran actress while she has not been able to impress much with her skills. In one of her viral Koffee With Karan episode videos where she appeared with father Anil Kapoor, she called herself an 'icon', which the host and her father too found indigestible.

Here's a video of Sonam Kapoor

Tiger Shroff: The actor has been bagging some of the biggest projects mounted at huge scales. However, his acting skills continue to be under the scanner. Yes, he is a great dancer and is impeccable in action sequences, but when it comes to emoting, Tiger still has a long way to go.

The conversation around nepotism is complex, with valid arguments on both sides. While familial connections can open doors, they also come with the burden of proving one's talent in the face of public scrutiny. The industry continues to grapple with finding a balance between legacy and meritocracy.