Avika Gor, TV and film actress, has talked about the spectre of nepotism in Indian cinema saying that the industries in the south, particularly Telugu cinema, has it much worse than Bollywood but Hindi cinema suffers due to a bias in people’s perception about it. The actress has worked in a number of Telugu films over the years.
In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Avika said, “See when it comes to star power, south is all about star power. When it comes about nepotism, the word that we all are tired of hearing... south is all about nepotism. So cheezein bilkul wahi hain (Things are just the same)... its just that audiences are not choosing to see it there the way they are seeing it here. Woh ek bias create ho chuka hai for Hindi films, Bollywood films ki ye jo bhi banayenge hum pehle judge karenge... (A bias has been created over time about Bollywood and Hindi films that we will judge whatever they make). Ye ek bias create ho chuka hai over the time and I think, and as someone who is a part of the industry we also understand ki kaafi time woh phase chala jaha pe ki South ki remakes bani bahut sari... so people thought ki hum bas copy karte hain (a phase had come when a lot of South films were remade, so people thought we only copy films). I think its just about that bias. "
Talking further about nepotism in the Telugu film industry, Avika added, “"Telugu industry mein ye (nepotism) toh ekdum saamne hai (Nepotism is right front and centre in the Telugu industry). I mean how are people choosing to not see it? I think logon ne thoda hype kar diya is sab ko (I think people have hyped it a lot). And with time I hope ki social media bhi relax ho jaaye and ye bhi relax ho jaaye (I hope with time social media will relax along with it).”
Avika first rose to fame as a child artiste with a leading role in the popular TV show Balika Vadhu. She made her Telugu film debut with Uyyala Jampala (2013), and went on to establish herself further with films like Lakshmi Raave Maa Intiki, Cinema Choopistha Mava, Thanu Nenu, Ekkadiki Pothavu Chinnavada and Raju Gari Gadhi 3. Avika is now set to make her Bollywood debut with 1920: Horrors of the Heart.
