Sara Ali Khan on nepotism: ‘I’ve not had a father going to offices, negotiating my contracts and begging people to take me in their films’; says she handled Kedarnath problems on her own.
Published: October 28, 2026, 10:30 AM IST
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Sara Ali Khan
Sara Ali Khan has opened up about the advantages and challenges of being born into a film familyThe actor admitted that her family background helped her enter Bollywood and gave her early recognitionHowever, she feels the constant debate around nepotism often overshadows the hard work she’s put into building her career.
In an interview with Filmfare, Sara was asked whether her family’s legacy had helped her or put pressure on herShe said, “It’s a combination of bothI’m not naive or delusional enough to not accept and be grateful that it has opened doorsIt has given me access; it has given me recognition and fame, maybe even before I became an actorBut having said that, sometimes I do feel that the bar is too highNepotism has just become a bad word for peopleAnd what I don’t appreciate is that it takes away from the effort that one has madeI’ve said this before and I’ll say it againWhether it’s Janhvi, Ananya or me, we haven’t chosen who we were born to.”
Sara also spoke about the advantages that star kids receive when they enter the film industryAt the same time, she said that actors should not be blamed for the families they are born into.
She added, “We were just fortunate enoughI don’t think it’s fair to be hung for what’s not our faultDo I feel we have an edge? Yes, for sureWe were given a debut that people crave forBut eight years into my career, having to still explain that to people… I don’t think that that onus should lie on meI live with a single motherI’ve not had a father going to offices, negotiating my contracts and begging people to take me in their filmsWhen I had a problem with Kedarnath, I was sorting it out myselfThere was no one with meIt’s a double-edged swordBecause I’ve not had a godfather in the industry at all.”
Sara Ali Khan’s Bollywood Background
Sara comes from a prominent film familyShe is the daughter of actors Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh and the granddaughter of veteran actor Sharmila Tagore and former Indian cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan PataudiHer maternal grandmother is writer and politician Rukhsana Sultana.
Her parents divorced in 2004, and Sara was primarily raised by her motherShe made her Bollywood debut opposite Sushant Singh Rajput in Kedarnath in 2018Since then, she has appeared in films such as Simmba, Atrangi Re, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke and Ae Watan Mere Watan.
Sara is currently seen in Udta Teer, a spy comedy directed by Aakash Kaushik in his directorial debutThe film is produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Guneet Monga, Apoorva Mehta and Achin Jain under Dharma Productions and Sikhya Entertainment.
The film stars Ayushmann Khurrana in the lead role, with Rahul Bose, Ram Kapoor, Gulshan Grover, Mukul Dev, Suhail Nayyar, Supriya Pilgaonkar, Brijendra Kala and Sandeep Anand in supporting rolesUdta Teer has received a mixed response from audiences and critics.
