At a time when nepotism debate has stirred up a storm in Bollywood, Salman Khan is ready to launch his brother-in-law Aayush Sharma in Loveyatri. It is no secret that Salman had looking for a perfect script for Aayush to make his Bollywood debut, and he finally settled on Loveyatri. However, the 52-year-old actor has dismissed accusations of nepotism for launching Aayush in his home production.

Salman contends that someone would have launched Aayush, if not him, as he has been working hard for his Bollywood debut for years.

“He has been training hard. I knew this nepotism thing would come up. He is son of a politician how can you put him into this nepotism thing. This is the only one place where nepotism cannot work at all. It is the audience that will make you a superstar or will reject you no matter whose son or a brother-in-law you are,” Salman told PTI at a special Loveyatri concert in Mumbai.

The Race 3 actor cites his own example and says it is “totally the audience who decide what they like and what not”.

“You never know what they would like. You may be the best looking guy and best actor and they just reject you and you can have nothing. And then there is something about you that audience goes to watch your film in cinema halls but this is till your last film.”

Salman adds that the competition has increased in the last few years.

He says, even today, he gets nervous on a Friday, especially when his films are releasing, be it as an actor or producer. “I remember when Maine Pyaar Kiya had released went on a bike with my friend in a theatre to gauge the reaction of the audience. During the interval people saw me and I had to run away from there. It is one of the happiest moment for me.

“I am one of the fortunate ones that even my flop films do business of over Rs 100 crore. I told Aayush and Warina that even if you deliver a flop film it should do Rs 160 crore at the box office. So now they have pressure of flop film.”

Loveyatri was previously titled Loveratri but had a last-minute change after certain religious quarters accused Salman of hurting their sentiments. The film will hit the screens on October 5.