Access to art, knowledge and experts is the biggest advantage of being a star kid: Azaan Sami Khan

Singer and actor Azaan Sami Khan has weighed in on the age-old dialogue on whether star kids have it easier than newbies in an industry – and unlike others, the Ishq-e-Laa actor is not hesitant to own how nepotism helped him, and other star kids, gain recognition.

On Monday, Azaan made a guest appearance on Nida Yasir’s Ramazan show Shan-e-Suhoor where the host spoke about the criticism that celebrities’ kids often face for getting work based on their connections rather than their talent. Nida then asked Azaan to comment on the advantages and disadvantages of being a nepotism kid, based on his own experiences.

“There are a lot of benefits. If today I sit here and say that there a lot of struggles then that would be wrong. Faide hote hain [There are advantages],” the Ik Lamha singer said. “It depends on your upbringing whether you exploit those benefits or not,” he explained.

Azaan highlighted that open access to experts in your field of interest is the biggest advantage that star kids have growing up. “The most basic benefit is; you know people who can get you inside the industry. The biggest advantage that I see, for example, is if I wanted to become a host then I could meet one of the best hosts in Pakistan, like you, [Nida]. Coming to you to learn would not have been hard,” he exclaimed.

“My mother would have called you and said Azaan wants to learn from you, can he come to observe and shadow you and assist you? There is that accessibility,” the Ibadat singer added. Sharing a personal anecdote, Azaan added that he used to visit the studio of the famous Pakistani composer Waqar Ali. “Similarly, I used to go sit in Waqar Ali’s studio. Now, access to that art, knowledge, to be able to sit with people who are experts in their fields, is the biggest advantage,” he added.

When the host asked who he learned acting from, Azaan owed it all to his mother. “Since my mother is an actor, my childhood has been spent on sets,” he said. “Like I am here today, it’s been a while since I have been to a studio, it feels like I have come home,” he added, sharing that his after-school routine as a kid was not to go home but to his mother’s shoot at PTV or for some film.

“For me, the studio, the lights, the chaos, and acting became the most comfortable space,” stated Azaan. “The environment becomes your second nature. I’m sure if a girl or boy whose parents belong to some other field, then they would get advantages there.”

Moving on to the disadvantages and challenges of having an easy way up the ladder, Azaan contradicted the commonly held belief that there is pressure for star children to meet the standards set by their parents, therefore, it’s equally hard or harder for them than someone who is not a star kid.

“If you are choosing this career, and on your first day you are being compared to a legend, then that itself is also an advantage. I understand that it causes pressure, but after a while, it gets easier,” he explained, adding that the start is so difficult that you work hard to make the journey ahead look easy.

Azaan, who has made his name in the music industry, is the son of the veteran former Pakistani singer Adnan Sami Khan and Pakistani actor Zeba Bakhtiar and has received praise for composing songs in TV dramas and films like Hum Kahan Ke Sachay Thay, Ishq-e-Laa, Superstar and Parey Hut Love.

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