Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut on Tuesday lauded Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan for choosing directing over acting. Aryan is set to write and direct an upcoming Netflix series produced by Gauri Khan.

The yet-untitled web series marks the sixth collaboration between Netflix and Red Chillies Entertainment after Darlings, Bhakshak, Class of ’83, and the shows Betaal and Bard of Blood.

“It is great that children from film families are going beyond just wanting to wear makeup, lose weight, doll up and think they are actors,” Kangana said, taking a jibe at aspiring actors from film families.

Heaping praise on Aryan for debuting as a writer and filmmaker instead of as an actor, Kangana added, “We should collectively uplift the standards of Indian cinema, that is the need of the hour.”

Kangana went on to say that oftentimes, the children of film stars, who have “resources”, end up taking the “easiest roads”. “We need more people behind the cameras, good that Aryan Khan is taking the road less travelled. Look forward to his debut as a writer and filmmaker,” she signed off.

Netflix announced Aryan’s directorial debut on Tuesday. “This 2025: Netflix and Red Chillies Entertainment come together for a one of a kind Bollywood series, produced by Gauri Khan, created and directed by Aryan Khan,” the streamer wrote.

Aryan had previously directed an advertisement for his luxury clothing brand, D’YAVOL X, which featured Shah Rukh and Aryan’s sister Suhana Khan.

Suhana made her acting debut in Zoya Akhtar’s 2023 film The Archies, which also marked the acting debuts of Vedang Raina, Agastya Nanda, Khushi Kapoor, Mihir Ahuja, Yuvraj Menda and Aditi Saigal.

This is not the first time Kangana criticised Bollywood for nepotism. In 2020, she accused the hotshots of the film industry of treating outsiders with contempt. In 2017, she made an appearance on Karan Johar’s talk show Koffee With Karan, where she labelled the filmmaker-producer as a “flagbearer of nepotism” and “movie mafia”.