Himansh Kohli: I have no motive to fight against nepotism

MUMBAI: "Yaariyan" actor Himansh Kohli says he has no motive of fighting against nepotism. However, he feels that everyone should get an equal opportunity.

He admits that good skills always outshine a good referral.

"I have no motive to fight against nepotism, it exists everywhere in the world, in every field. But I would urge all employers to give an honest chance to new talent and people you've not worked with before. This would ensure others get an equal chance too. While sources and connections do play an important role, like in every profession, your skills are more important than anything else," he said.

"Good work beats good referral any day. It can be disheartening to think about a project, its character for months, and then lose it. But highs and lows come in everyone's life. Some of my projects worked, some didn't. It doesn't mean my journey has ended," he added.

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Talking about his journey in the industry, he said: "I'm a Delhi boy from Lajpat Nagar with no connections in the industry. I rose through TV and then came to movies. I remember when I got selected for 'Yaariyan', there were a lot of star kids in the queue, but I got a chance to be the male protagonist. Yes, I understand a lot of people say that I'm not doing a lot of films. But in every profession there's a struggle phase and a star phase. The good thing is that none of it is permanent."

He went on to cite examples of actors like Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar who were outsiders once upon a time, but made a name for themselves based on their abilities.

"It took a lot of time for stars like Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Pankaj Tripathi, Rajkummar Rao, Ayushmann Khurrana and Kartik Aryan to be where they are and it was not an overnight journey. None of them are star kids and everyone made a name for themselves on their own," he said.

Himansh made his acting debut with Channel V's "Humse Hai Liife" in 2011 and entered Bollywood with "Yaariyaan" in 2014.

"I am thankful to the industry which gave me a chance and accepted me with open arms," he said.

He will be next seen in the film "Boondi Raita".