Tanuj Virwani, son of veteran actress Rati Agnihotri, talks about the ongoing nepotism debate in the industry – “I don’t think I had a very big start”

Tanuj Virwani, the son of former actress Rati Agnihotri, has added his voice to the ongoing debate on nepotism in the industry. Tanuj expressed his thoughts on the issue of nepotism. career was characterized by continuous growth rather than a sudden rise.
In an interview with NDTV, Tanuj was asked if being Rati Agnihotri’s son had any impact on his career. To this, he replied, “Thankfully nepotism has not had any impact on my career because firstly, I don’t think I got a very big break. It’s not like I was launched by Yash Raj or Dharma Productions; everyone knows my own career trajectory. Secondly, my on-screen surname is Virwani while my mother’s on-screen surname is Agnihotri, so a lot of people don’t even make the connection that we are related, which has been great for me. I like being my own person; my failures should be mine and my successes should be mine too. That is very important to me.”
The actor acknowledged that nepotism does indeed exist and also spoke about the natural tendency of families to look after each other. “Nepotism exists, there’s no doubt about it. It’s prevalent in every industry, but in ours it’s talked about more because it’s such a glamorous industry. Tell me, why wouldn’t you want the best for your son, daughter, niece or nephew? That’s just the way it is. You definitely get better opportunities early in your career if you’re related to someone who’s either very powerful or very successful in their field,” he explained.
Tanuj agreed that while an influential family can provide an early advantage, ultimately one’s skill and dedication will determine one’s long-term success. He shared that one needs to prove one’s mettle as an actor. If one doesn’t, audiences will not buy tickets or subscribe to streaming platforms. There are numerous cases where star kids have failed to succeed while others have achieved great success. Similarly, many individuals outside the industry are successful today. Ultimately, an endorser can make it easier to enter the industry, but to sustain a lasting career, one needs to have the required skills and determination.
For the unaware, Rati Agnihotri is a celebrated actress of the 1980s and 1990s. The actress has acted in a number of notable films. Some of her best known films are Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981), Rajput (1982), Kshatriya (1987), Batwara (1989) and Love Story (1981).
On the professional front, Tanuj Virwani made his debut in Bollywood in 2013 with the film ‘Luv U Soniyo’. Since then, he has acted in films like ‘Purani Jeans’, ‘One Night Stand’ and ‘Yodha’. Tanuj has also appeared in a number of web series including Inside Edge, Poison, Code M, Illegal – Justice, Out of Order, The Tattoo Murders and Cartel.