Ayaan Agnihotri, nephew Salman Khanis carving his own path in the entertainment industry without relying on the privilege that comes with his famous last name. Although his uncle is one of the biggest stars in Bollywood, Ayan is determined to earn his place on his own merit and hard work. While working with Salman gave him valuable exposure and experience, he made it clear that he didn’t want to be spoon-fed or offered opportunities just because of family connections.
What was the creative dynamic of Ayaan Agnihotri working with Salman Khan?
In an interview with News18, Ayaan was asked about the creative dynamic of working with Salman and whether the uncle-nephew relationship would take a back seat once the cameras started rolling or if it really added something special to the process. He said: “It’s a combination of both. Mamu is very particular about work. He wants you to do everything right. You have to be there, you have to do the work and you have to take responsibility for it. He won’t hang around you. He will tell you, “This is what you need to do.” This is the guy you need to do this with. Get started now and get it done. So, in a lot of ways, it was nice to know that at that point, it was just work. What has to happen must happen. Of course, after that, there comes the element of nurturing and mentoring. “He adds, “But at the same time, he never lingers. He’s very clear that you have to do it first. Once you’re done, he’ll tell you what he has to say about it. But he doesn’t come in and do that part for you. It’s like, ‘This is the beat. You figure it out. You write it. You figure it out with Vishal'” or, ‘This is what I shot. This is the director. Now you go figure out how to film your character. So basically, he said, “Go and do it yourself.”He will not help you at that stage because that is your journey and your responsibility. But after that, he continues to provide guidance. ”
How does Ayaan Agnihotri deal with the nepotism tag and outside perceptions?
When asked about growing up in a family full of artists and his relationship with Salim Khan Salman helps him separate his true family support from outside perceptions, and whether or not that clarity changes the way he presents himself as Agni, Ayaan gives a very grounded and refreshingly honest answer. He makes it clear that the way things look from the outside is very different from the way they actually feel on the inside. He said: “The way we see it from the inside is very different. For us it’s just mamu and nana. This is our standard home environment. We don’t look at it from the inside out. The correlation of these relationships is not based on social media counters or anything like that. Family is family. A unit is first and foremost a family. Whatever is happening outside, that’s not what we see at home. Ghar ke liye, it’s just family. ”
