Bollywood actor Kiara Advani defended filmmaker Karan Johar and quashed all accusations about the latter being the torchbearer of nepotism in the film industry. 

In an interview with Film Companion to promote her upcoming horror-comedy flick ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2’, the 29-year-old revealed how Johar and fashion designer Manish Malhotra never judged her, and helped her when she was a “nobody” as she struggled to find acting stints.

“These are people who are supremely successful, but they didn’t have that apprehension, they didn’t come to me only because I was successful,” she told Film Companion.

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Advani further revealed that the agency she was associated with, refused to help her get a role in a film by Johar. It was only when she met the 48-year-old filmmaker coincidentally that she got cast in ‘Lust Stories’ in 2018.

She also said how during the beginning of her career in cinema, she was constantly turned down by several designers, except Malhotra, who was always helpful to her and had faith in her abilities. 

“At that point, there was this thing, and Manish is one of those people who never looked at it like that. He never looked at it like, ‘I’ll give somebody something because they’re successful’. Even Karan. I know he gets so much hate for nepotism and all of that, but he took me when I was a nobody, and nobody told him to,” she added.

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The ‘Shershaah’ actor said that she now realizes that “at the end of the day, this is a business.”

On the work front, Kiara Advani will next be seen in ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2‘, a sequel to the 2007 blockbuster hit. The sequel, directed by Anees Bazmee, stars Kartik Aaryan, Rajpal Yadav, and Tabu.