To have successful parents is a great feeling. But nothing compares to the feeling when you surpass them. From Mukesh and Anil Ambani to Deepika Padukone to our own Mahesh Babu, we have many examples of people coming out of the shadow of their successful parents and creating a bigger niche for themselves. And the genes definitely helps.
Most examples can be seen in our film industries. Mahesh Babu today has surpassed his father Krishna in fame, as has Salman Khan surpassed scriptwriter Salim and Baahubali director S.S. Rajamouli his father, writer K.V. Vijayendra Prasad.
Mahesh Babu concedes that being born in a “film family” helped him a lot. “Coming from a film family, it’s taken for granted that the kids become actors,” he says, adding, “The difference was that I always wanted to become one.”
“For me my idol is my father and I grew up watching his films so his influence on me is tremendous,” adds Mahesh. Actor Venkatesh says that he was influenced by his father to take up acting: “My father would have been happy to see me as a doctor or an engineer. But one day he asked me to take up acting and I took it up.”
But is it just about having a star parent? Or does it also have to do with acting being “in their blood”? Anu Acharya, CEO of MapMyGenome, a gene mapping company in Hyderabad, thinks so. “When an actor’s child follows the parent’s footsteps and achieves success, people often jump to the conclusion that the child was born with a silver spoon and has had it easy,” she says, adding, “Special characteristics like charisma, intellect, leadership, confidence, and perseverance are essential for an actor. Most of these can be traced back to genetic factors.”
She also adds that charisma and drama are traits that have links to genes, with new research backing the claims. “One of the genes we study is the ‘warrior vs worrier’ variant,” she explains, “A person with ‘warrior’ traits is more likely to succeed through determination and perseverance. Scientists have linked genes that produce chemical molecules called neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, etc.) with the ability to ‘make it or break it’ in the industry.”
Speaking about daughter Alia Bhatt, Bollywood director Mahesh Bhatt says that this hard work is what also moulds an actor: “With genes of a similar kind from parents, kids do get into the same profession merely because they are born and bred in a similar atmosphere; but everything comes with hard work, and perseverance in every field is a must.”
Venkatesh also attributes his success to hard work and family support. “My father had his own vision and though I am not into the business world, I work hard at whatever comes my way,” he says, while adding, “I am lucky to have a wonderful brother in Suresh Babu.”
Getting a start is the easy part, but both Mahesh Babu and Bhatt say that audience acceptance and dealing with the pressure of living up to parent’s expectations is what really defines an actor’s success. “First films are relatively guaranteed being a superstar son, but after that you’re pretty much on your own,” says Mahesh while adding, “In my case the audience accepted me with open arms and then with trial and error I managed to find my space in the industry.” Bhatt’s opinion is similar, saying we still need to wait and see Alia’s “career graph”. “She will have to prove herself in her upcoming films too,” Bhatt says.
— With inputs from Christopher Isaac, Suresh Kavirayani and Lipika Varma
