From the Khans to the Kapoors, Bollywood's list of powerful film clans is a major obstacle to making it big in one of the most dynamic entertainment industries in the world.
Each year, however, thousands of hopeful talents make their way to Mumbai -- formerly known as Bombay, from which the industry derived its name -- to test their luck.
It's a similar story in South Korea where one almost certainly needs to win the genetic lottery in order to achieve fame in the entertainment industry, which has come to be dominated by large conglomerate talent agencies that are constantly in the hunt for fresh faces.
While Thailand's industry is not as large as that of Bollywood or Korea, it does occasionally churn out some successful films.
Banjong Pisanthanakun, a well-known Thai director, has made some of the country's most commercially successful films including Pee Mak Phra Khanong, a 2013 comedy horror film, and the romantic comedy Kuan Mun Ho or Hello Stranger. His latest film Fanday, also a romantic comedy, made its debut in local cinemas this month.
Making quality films that also make money is a challenge, he admits.
"There are a lot of different qualities in a good director," Mr Banjong told Asia Focus. "For me, however, the most important is storytelling ability. We have to be able to communicate our vision and transform that into a film that will resonate with the audience."
Mr Banjong's films have also been very successful in the international market. But he insists that when he's making a film, he doesn't think about how it might play abroad.
"I just have to be confident in the work I direct," he said. "My role is to make the best possible film I can for the Thai audience. The marketing of the film abroad is the job of the distributor in each country. They will have their own way of marketing the film because they know the audience in their country."
While some Thai talents find success abroad, such as Nichkun Horvejkul of the Korean boy band 2PM, very few foreign talents are cast in Thai films. Even with the success of his films abroad, Mr Banjong says he has never used foreign performers.
Ann Mitchai, who comes from a family of likay performers in Thailand, has built a successful career in Bollywood by embracing the challenge of dealing with a different language and culture. Photo: Pattanapong Hirunard
Unlike the relatively small Thai film industry, however, many foreign talents naturally gravitate to the glamorous world of Bollywood and Korea. These established entertainment industries, likewise, are keen to broaden their horizons in search of new markets and revenue with the use of foreign stars.
One of the best-known foreign talents in Bollywood is Katrina Kaif, a Hong Kong-born actress of British-Kashmiri descent, who is now an A-Lister.
One does not even need to have some Indian ancestry to have lead roles in Bollywood these days. Just ask Barbara Mori, the Mexican-Japanese star of Kites, or Brazilian Giselli Monteiro, who acted in Love Aaj Kal.
Our very own Ann Mitchai, a well-known likay actress from Thailand, is also gaining a foothold in the industry.
"Although I'm a fan of Bollywood myself, I never thought I would enter the industry. I was born into a likay family and, since the age of 5, followed in their footsteps," Ms Ann told Asia Focus.
"Later in my career, however, I started mixing some international elements into my performance which were very well appreciated."
Ms Ann was spotted by some people in the Bollywood industry after she incorporated Bollywood dance into a concert. "I was given the opportunity to sing and act in my first Bollywood film in 2013, Ishk (Love) Actually."
But working in Bollywood as a foreigner does have its challenges. "The main obstacle is of course the language but I think you need to take that as a challenge rather than an obstacle," she said.
"Not everything can be rosy in the beginning. Everything in India was different from the lifestyle to the food. Unlike in Thailand, I also could not choose my own schedule. However, you have to have the will to adapt. Now, India is like my second home."
Korea has also grown more open to more non-Korean talent, and its audiences have started to accept Korean-speaking foreign stars.
One of them is Fuji Mina, a Japanese actress, who loved Korean dramas and became mesmerised by the male lead in Winter Sonata, Bae Yong-joon.
Her interest in one Korean actor motivated her to study the language. Her many years of effort to build up her Korean skills paid off when she was cast in numerous Korean dramas in 2012, though only in minor roles, including The Lord of the Drama on SBS, Ms Panda and Mr Hedgehog on Channel A and Another Wedding on KBS.
Ms Mina found that there were cultural differences she had to get used to. In an interview with Korea.net she said: "The Japanese tend to be less straightforward about their feelings, while Koreans are very honest and open in expressing their emotion. That applies to acting as well. Because of that, I felt a bit awkward when I was asked to act with great emotion, but now I've grown more accustomed to it."
Another obstacle that Ms Mina faced, similar to Ms Ann, was language.
"One day, I sat down with Jang Hang-joon, the director of the drama, and when he heard me reading the Korean script, he said I sounded too awkward. He even told me that I could be replaced by another actress if I keep on like this," she recalled.
"I practised over and over again. I met him the other day and he told me that he intentionally blasted me that harshly to make me go full steam ahead. In retrospect, his sternness kept me going. I still have many roles I want to play in dramas and, hopefully, movies, as well."
As both Bollywood and the Korean entertainment industry continued to grow, the use of foreign talents will become more a norm and less of a novelty. Thailand, meanwhile, still has a long way to go in terms of tapping the potential of its film industry.