In a rare and brutally honest interview, actor and model Muzammil Ibrahim has spoken out about the deep-rooted unfairness in the Indian film industry, shedding light on how star kids enjoy systemic privilege, while outsiders are left to fight an uphill battle often alone and unnoticed.
Muzammil, who once created waves as a supermodel turned actor, recalled the initial craze that surrounded him. “People loved me for who I was. I didn’t have PR pushing my name or paid articles creating buzz about me every day. What I had was real—love from the audience,” he said.
He went on to describe the competitive landscape during his early days: “When you’re pitching for the same film as a star kid, the choice becomes obvious. Who would producers choose? My father didn’t have ₹12-13 crore to pump into media and PR each year. I was alone, trying to match the might of an entire cavalry they come with.”
Muzammil also emphasized how the industry is designed to favor insiders, right from visibility to access: “Today, you see newcomers star kids being filmed just going to the gym. What sense does that make? That’s not talent. Everything is created for them in advance. For us, it’s a different kind of struggle altogether.”
The actor shared an interesting anecdote about his early rise.“Soni Razdan ma’am once told Mahesh Bhatt sir to sign me after seeing one of my ads. She’s only ever said that about two people—Shah Rukh Khan and me. That’s the level of buzz I had back then. But after that, the unfair competition begins.”
Muzammil painted a picture of what it’s like to pursue work as an outsider in the industry. “I tried to meet Vishal Bhardwaj ji for seven to eight years constantly reaching out but never got the opportunity. But for a star kid, meeting a top director or producer is easy. They’re born into these homes; they don’t need to struggle for meetings. Our struggle is on a completely different level.”
Adding to the irony, he pointed out the hypocrisy seen online:“Go read the comments on posts by star kids—they’re flooded with hate. Meanwhile, for people like me, audiences comment asking, ‘Why aren’t you doing more films?’ The answer is simple—I’m not refusing films; I’m not being offered any.”
Referring to the rise of OTT platforms, he expressed both hope and frustration.“Today, so many talented actors are coming out of OTT. But it’s not like they became talented overnight. They were always this good. Why did it take this long for them to succeed? Why did I only get something like Special Ops so late in my career? Why not in my early 20s? The industry is deeply unfair.”
Muzammil Ibrahim’s words aren’t just a personal rant—they reflect a broader truth that many outsiders in Bollywood have quietly endured for decades. His voice adds to the growing call for transparency, meritocracy, and equal opportunity in Indian cinema.
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