Rajkummar Rao reacts to video of Sonam Kapoor defending nepotism

Whether it's Hollywood or Bollywood, the nepotism debate is seemingly endless! Many star kids like Alia Bhatt and Arjun Kapoor have faced netizens' wrath due to their "controversial takes" on this topic. However, one video which has gained traction recently is an old clip of Rajkummar Rao and Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, which led to the latter getting brutally trolled. Now, Rao has defended her.

• The debate over nepotism was not always a hot topic in Bollywood until Kangana Ranaut, who is famously known for speaking her mind, sparked a debate on the chat show Koffee With Karan.
• When the actor called Karan Johar "a flag-bearer of nepotism," it led to a war of words between the two.
• Since then, the B'town has stood divided on this issue.

The viral clip is from a 2015 interview. In the video, the Aisha actor asks Rao about his take on nepotism, but before he could explain anything, Kapoor Ahuja reportedly cuts him off. She actor shared how she wanted to assist filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, but since her father-actor Anil Kapoor "did not know him then," he told her to work with another director.

"That video is edited in a way that it shows my reactions to other things [not Sonam's words]," Rao told News18. Further clarifying what actually happened, he added, "This had happened long back. I'm not someone to sit and think about it. It was in the moment." He further explained that netizens dissecting his opinion won't compel him to filter his views, per News18.

Amid backlash from the netizens, Rao defended Kapoor Ahuja by stating, "Sonam is one of the most kind-hearted girls I've met here. She's so genuine... A couple of weeks back, we met her...to meet her son (Vayu). Nothing has changed between us." Notably, the two actors shared screen space in Dolly Ki Doli (2015) and Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (2019).