The Star Kid Starter Pack: How Nepo-Babies are Launched in Bollywood Today

They say any publicity is good publicity, but if you’ve scrolled through Instagram lately, you’d know that isn’t always the case. From Veer Pahariya dancing in circles, to Junaid Khan and Khushi Kapoor promoting Loveyapa (2025) — the PR overkill has spilled onto stand-up sets and comment sections, fuelling endless memes about headlines crowning them as superstars even before their first film hits the screens.

But why does the hype work for some and fizzle out for others? More importantly — what goes into a nepo baby's public relations starter pack?

Overnight success isn’t a myth — just ask Hrithik Roshan, whose Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai debut 25 years ago hit like a cultural tsunami. But at a time with more exposure, newer avenues and a lot more money, the well-oiled star launch machine doesn't seem to be working anymore.

“I am not a big fan of the star kid launch,” says a senior PR executive. “More often than not, it ends up putting so much pressure of expectation on the kid. It's all almost like prepping him or her for failure... It’s more about the parents satisfying themselves.”

Ahead of Ibrahim Ali Khan’s big-screen debut with Naadaniyan (2025), industry insiders weigh in on what goes on behind the infamous "nepo kid" launch — and reveal what it takes to shine as a bonafide star.

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Who are They?

It’s not as simple as insiders versus outsiders — there are levels to it, says a media coach who works with both. They break newcomers into four categories. At the top are the crème de la crème — star kids armed with teams for social media, styling, PR, and strategy. Next, come the children of industry HODs and insiders — maybe not lead stars right away, but with a clear path to their big break. Then there are the aspirants from metro cities, who have the resources to sustain themselves while chasing the dream. “And finally come those who I call outsiders — no experience or connections — but come what may, they know they have to make it in the film industry," the coach adds.

Speaking of the first category, who come to them a year before their debut, the coach says, “Those who come from privileged backgrounds have dadas (helpers) for everything. Then they step out in the real world and realise that’s not how everyone lives. They don’t intend to come across as brattish, but they have no perspective of the real world.”

Humility is a quality taught, in such cases. Because today, from the light boy to the spot boy, everyone’s got a phone and everyone’s got an opinion. Reputations take years to build, but seconds to crumble.

On the contrary, publicist Supriya B, founder at The Glassbox, who works with several star kids in the southern film industries, reveals that though there is privilege, the newcomers from film families still need to earn their stripes; there’s no real hype around them, as there is in the north.

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What’s the Strategy?

“Back in the day, PR meant putting out articles in newspapers, but with the rise of paparazzi culture, it became chaotic,” says an agent. Today, PR professionals curate monthly packages — drafting stories, getting actors spotted, even hiring people to show up for autographs. “I happen to know an actor who's currently paying ₹10 lakhs a month to get this done. It's all routed through the agency so if there's an issue, they’ll deal with it and not the actor.”

Digital Instagram creator Viral Bhayani agrees. “Earlier, trade pundits decided these things, but now, around promotion time, they want to be seen everywhere: from the temples to parties and premieres.”

Despite a senior PR representative warning star kids against the predictable cycle — 15 days of looking ‘humble’, 15 days of temple runs, and 15 days of making fashion statements — it’s advice falling on deaf ears. “I wish I could see one actor come out of a workshop or speak out about improving diction or acting skills. But you won't see that,” says the agent.

After all, a star launch comes with all the bells and whistles — grand premieres, star-studded guest lists, and an all-out PR blitz. But none of that matters if the film doesn’t fit. It isn’t the scale of the debut that matters — it’s the subject of the film and whether it plays to the actor’s strengths.

“Gangs of Wasseypur (2012) was the birthplace for a whole bunch of newcomers — Richa Chadha, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Pankaj Tripathi, Viineet Kumar Siingh, Huma Qureshi. It was everybody's first film, and I remember at that point, our biggest problem was deciding who to put on the poster!” an insider recalls with a laugh.

Another insider adds, “When Vicky [Kaushal] acted in Masaan (2015), there was no major launch for him even though we knew he was [action director] Sham Kaushal's son. That worked for him because everybody liked Vicky for who he was, rather than for whose son he was.”

Ultimately, content is king. If a film works, everyone involved — whether a star kid or not — gets their moment: a lesson that the south Indian industry seems to have grasped faster. Supriya says, “There's no special strategy. Content works very well ultimately. And if people can connect with the person and the content, then it kind of becomes much bigger.”

“Many actors come to me, asking to be spotted. I ask them, where's the strategy behind it? Where is your positioning? asks Bhayani. “The audience is smart... right from your walk to whether you maintain eye contact, people can tell if it’s fake or real.”

But one size doesn’t fit all. The media coach explains that though star kids seek media training, confidence coaching, and chemistry building, the goal is to let them be as genuine as possible. They add, “Last December, I worked with someone who was religious. She wore rudraksh bracelets on her wrist, and we told her people would ask about it... so she could leave it at just spirituality. But she said she knew what she was talking about, so we put it to the test. Only then did we tell her that she could speak about it.” Claims must be backed by knowledge.

But who is calling the shots — the director, producer, agent, or the coach? “It could be management," they admit. But often, it’s also mummy and daddy running the show.

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However, Supriya explains that media training in the south is more straightforward — actors are simply briefed on expected questions, while the media sticks to the script.

One insider explains that on average, in a ₹20 crore film, roughly ₹5 crore is spent on marketing, while in a ₹100 crore film, ₹20 crore is. But if there’s a star kid involved, it's infinitely higher. “The general approach is to popularise the face, rather than the film.” And unlike earlier, they’re launched on social media platforms beforehand, so it’s more expensive. “The posters are also all about their faces,” he says, adding that it puts undue pressure on the newcomer.

The need of the hour, they all understand, is to be more strategic and go quiet when it matters. The current wave of PR damages the newcomers more than anything else. Not to mention — how many times can one post photos of them exiting a gym?

The Era of Crisis Management

The PR industry has been under fire on Instagram comment sections recently, for missing the mark with many of the newest star kids, raising questions on if there are crisis management strategies in place.

“There is only panic,” Bhayani says with a laugh. “PR agents coin star kids as superstars and ‘the next big thing’ all the time, but people are not going to call them that unless the actors prove it.”

For instance, an insider reveals, "Rasha Thadani did a great job with "Uyi Amma" in Azaad — It has to be backed with work, otherwise it does not fly.”

Similarly, Black Warrant (2025) worked in Zahan Kapoor’s favour, allowing audiences to discover him organically. “By then, people saw what he could do without the weight of expectation. The lineage is then considered to be an added benefit… far more effective than hosting huge premiere parties and inviting everyone from Bollywood.”

Another shining example is Ananya Panday. Allegedly, even her own classmates had Facebook groups mocking her when she started out, while Reddit threads questioned why she kept getting opportunities. But all the noise and early backlash faded once she proved herself with films like Gehraiyaan (2022) and CTRL (2024).

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Stick to your guns, work hard and the tide will eventually turn, is the consensus from the experts. The coach adds, “That’s why people who come from acclaimed film schools have that little chip on their shoulder. They recognise what this art should look like, and have gotten that pat on the back. But [star kids] work privately with instructors and sign NDAs. They might be working with [director] Atul Mongia or [acting coach] Saurabh Sachdeva, but it’s usually one-on-one lessons because they’re scared to find out if they’re competent or not, worried to even expose themselves to a batch of other newcomers…”

“At the end of the day, if you deliver a good performance, it pays off,” says Bhayani. “Your money has no real significance. You can put up 50 posts on my page; it’s not going to matter.”

Most star kids play it safe, afraid of online negativity to the point of losing individuality. Privilege does bring scrutiny, but being a cookie-cutter isn’t the answer. Everyone just wants to be a superstar overnight, but that formula isn’t working. “Stand up for something, and build on from there,” an insider concludes.