There are no Nepo-kids. Only NEPO STARS from the South.

2025 has been harsh to debutant actors whose families are anchored in the film industry, popularly addressed as Nepo kids. Loveyapa starring Junaid Khan and Kushi Kapoor met the first sword of this year with its disastrous end in the Box Office.

Their film-rich background has done little good in shaping their career. It all started post the demise of Sushant Singh Rajput and Media witnessed a hate wave towards actors with a rich legacy in Bollywood like Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Jahnvi Kapoor and Ishan Khatter.

Is this a new culture that has seeped into the industry over the last decade? To the contrary, this practise has stood the test of time across all jobs.

Actors like Shahid Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan were hailed by the same public as they were not seen as a sprout from a family tree, but as independent artists. Unlike early 2020s', the senior stars hit the ground running with a natural big screen aura and near-to-perfect acting abilities. This helped them make a name for themselves sans their surnames.

Much like the Stars from the South.

There has been a dearth of debutant actors in Kollywood over the last decade as the senior stars are still holding the fort strong. Actor Vijay, Ajith, Surya, Karthi and Dhanush have kept the ball rolling for decades together, keeping their fans engaged with their unique script choices. The Trinity of Movie Gods - Audience, Producers and Distributors have left their halo intact in return.

Vijay Sethupathi and Siva Karthikeyan are the only new additions to this list.

Actor Vijay and Suriya

It is easy to forget the fact that Vijay, Surya, Karthi, Dhanush and Simbu are Nepo-Stars from the south. However, there is a key difference in their career arc when compared to their Bollywood counterparts. They became bigger than their fathers and forefathers.

Their journeys were also riddled with failures, comebacks and some more failures. Vijay and Dhanush have mentioned how they were mocked for their looks in their early years. Surya, being the son of Veteran Actor Shivakumar was left behind with no work for years. Silambaran, overweight, demotivated and off the radar for a decade, has re-invented himself once again after debuting on the big screen 20 years ago.

The audience from the South having seen their actors work their way up braving thunderstorms and turmoil which made them loving and gentle towards their sons. Shanthnu Bhagyaraj, Atharva Murali and Dhruv Vikram still finding their feet in the Tamil Film industry, are showered with love in all their public appearances because the audience want the children of their favourite film stars succeed in life.

Vikram with his son Dhruv

Is this a mere reflection of how people from different cultures perceive stardom? Or is it an innate human tendency to cheer for the underdog to win against all odds? People crave to experience raw authenticity - the person beyond the family name and fancy cars.

The Stars from the South have never coddled their prodigies into stardom. They hold their little finger, pick them up after every fall and nudge them uphill only to stay behind and watch them make their climb. The veteran stars from the South are notorious for pushing their children into the sea without any safety gear.

He swims, he survives. Just like that, a star is born.