Veteran actor, Anupam Kher, has protested individually but feels artists shouldn’t be activists. His following film Kaagaz 2 explores the harmful effects of protests. The film, directed by VK Prakash, shows how protests and rallies affect ordinary people.
Kher said in a statement, “Entertainment professionals should not be crusaders. Individually, I’ve voiced my concerns and suffered the consequences. Many people disliked me, but it didn’t matter. Finally, I must sleep peacefully with my thoughts.”
After participating in India Against Corruption in 2011, the actor said “negotiations” are the best approach to settle difficulties. Our independence is due to Gandhiji’s ‘aandolan’. We are the result of the Quit India movement, a non-cooperation movement, but the people of India saw it as a shared effort.”
On the Delhi-NCR farmers protests, the actor said, Everyone has a right to freedom to move around and freedom of expression, but not at the expense of others. Farmers are givers, so I don’t think all farmers protest because it’s called farmers protest. When we hear “annadaata,” we feel defensive.I think taxpayers help the country grow. I oppose making ordinary people’s life miserable.
Kher was unhappy with the events after protesting farmers seized Delhi’s Red Fort in 2021. “That visuals will always haunt me when protestors reached Red Fort and they took out my country’s flag and put some other flag, I’ll not sympathise with such people, even if it is at the cost of being unpopular with some people,” he added.
