Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 7, 2020)

The nepotism debate, which resurfaced after actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, refuses to die down. However, actor Mohd Zeeshan Ayyub feels the problem is far deeper than what it appears to be.

“The whole nepotism debate is making the real issue very insignificant. There’s a much bigger problem and that is — when you’re lied to. You’re told you have this projection and sometimes you’re promised a poster, too. The makers sell you the character like it’s one of the main leads (in the film) but while shooting, it becomes a side character,” he reveals, adding that he’s been facing this for the past five years.

Ayyub goes on to say that sometimes, actors aren’t even told that the script has changed midway during the shoot. “And at the time of promotions, nobody cares about that fight. Actors who have work don’t have the time to fight,” says the Article 15 (2019) actor.

Weighing in on the outsiders versus insiders debate, Ayyub says that some people are taking advantage of the situation for their personal gains. “Kuch log toh bas apna personal papad sek rahe hai. I feel so bad that a colleague has died and people are playing games on it. You must realise that if, at this point, you are slamming someone, then automatically Sushant’s name will also get embroiled. It’s very ugly,” he ends.