Shashank Khaitan recently spoke about the ongoing insider-outsider debate in the film industry. He also addressed how people often target Karan Johar for launching star kids. On the same topic, the filmmaker offered a balanced perspective.In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Khaitan reiterated that Karan Johar launched Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, and Sidharth Malhotra with Student of the Year. He further shared, “I think when it comes to Karan, the way his personality is and the way he presents people, sometimes outsiders are also put in the bag ki yeh toh nepotism ka hi product hai. Bichare Sidharth Malhotra ko bhi humne nepotism hi bana diya hai.”The director added that Sidharth is a boy who came from Delhi with no industry roots and might have had his own journey.
Shashank Khaitan on ‘Student of the Year 2’
In the same interview, Khaitan stated that even in Student of the Year 2, Karan picked Tiger Shroff and Ananya Panday, who were from the industry, but also cast Tara Sutaria.The director explained that he himself hails from Nashik with no filmy background, yet he has managed to direct five films and produce three movies. “I knew nobody here. It’s all happened because Karan Johar read a script of ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’,” he said. Khaitan added that it’s Karan’s company, not a government-owned firm with obligations. “It’s his private money. He can choose to spend it the way he feels. Audiences always have a choice whether they want to watch it or not.”
More about Shashank Khaitan’s recent release, ‘Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari’
The film, starring Varun Dhawan, Janhvi Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra, and Rohit Saraf, released in theaters on October 2, 2025. It also featured Maniesh Paul and Akshay Oberoi in pivotal roles. The film clashed at the box office with Rishab Shetty’s Kantara: Chapter 1.
