Shanaya Kapoor is one step closer to making her highly anticipated Bollywood debut – but not everyone seems ready to roll out the red carpet just yet.
The star kid, daughter of Sanjay and Maheep Kapoor, has wrapped a key schedule for her first film Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyaan, co-starring Vikrant Massey. Based on Ruskin Bond’s classic short story The Eyes Have It, the film sees Shanaya step into the role of a theatre artist, while Vikrant plays a blind musician.
Taking to Instagram to mark the milestone, Shanaya shared a picture of a clapboard and a celebratory cake with the words “Schedule Wrap” iced on top, signalling a significant leap in the film’s production journey. Filming began last October in Mussoorie, with further schedules planned across Europe, ahead of a mid-2025 theatrical release.
While the project promises a refreshing adaptation of Bond’s beloved tale, the film’s casting has reignited the never-ending nepotism debate online. On X, users were quick to share their scepticism about another Kapoor entering Bollywood.
“As if there weren’t enough Kapoors already. Can’t wait to hear her struggles,” wrote one user, dripping with sarcasm.
Another added:
“Well played, Rajeev. Signing Tripti, Dhairya, Lakshya etc was just to show that Dharma will allow outsiders as well.”
However, not all reactions were dismissive.
“No hate against her. Let’s see what she is capable of,” one user noted, keeping the door open for the newcomer to prove herself.
With Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyaan, Shanaya steps into the spotlight under the watchful eye of Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions, a launchpad that has often been at the heart of Bollywood’s nepotism discourse. Whether she will silence the critics or add fuel to the fire remains to be seen.