MUMBAI: Versatile Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah is the latest entrant to talk about the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens and JNU violence.
In a lengthy interview with The Wire, Shah condemned the violence against student of the Jawaharlal Nehru University protesting against the CAA.
Popularity will not fade
The veteran actor called actor Deepika Padukone’s visit to JNU “courageous.”
“You have to laud the courage of a girl like Deepika who is in the top firmament and yet takes a step like this. Even if she has a lot to lose,” he said.
“Let us see how she takes it. She’ll lose a few endorsement, sure. Will that impoverish her? Will that lessen her popularity? Will that make her less beautiful than she is? They’re gonna come around sooner or later.
‘Apolitical’ B’wood Stars
Speaking about the deafening silence of big names of the film industry who chooses to remain ‘apolitical’, he said that the only god that film industry worships is money.
“As far as the established figures are considered, it’s understandable why they don’t speak up. One does wonder how much do they have to lose? Haven’t you made enough to last you seven generations? It’s like this line from Gibran – “Dread of thirst when your well is full; The thirst that is unquenchable.” It does seem to be like that. Loss of popularity, loss of revenue… will it kill you? The star is mainly concerned with themselves and not other people around, otherwise there would be more parity.
Shah also expressed optimism about India’s youth.
“The rise of India’s young against the current dispensation is amazing. Even in the film industry, the younger actors and directors have risen against this law, Shah said.
