02 May,2017 08:15 AM IST | | PTI
Actress Richa Chadha may believe that celebrities shy away from talking about politics because of organised trolling, but that certainly doesn't stop the 'Masaan' star from taking potshots at politicians
Richa Chadha
Actress Richa Chadha may believe that celebrities shy away from talking about politics because of "organised" trolling, but that certainly doesn't stop the 'Masaan' star from taking potshots at politicians.
Chadha says it baffles her how people go after artistes for holding an opinion but ignore politicians who propagate "the worst ideologies" about "some communities" and women.
"They may disagree with everything but in the persecution of women, they're unified," Richa told PTI
The actress also feels strongly about celebrities being trolled.
"The minute somebody says something, you go after them with a lynch mob, organised trolling on social media. There is no freedom of speech and you expect us to be completely free and open as if the nation building and policy making lie solely on us," she says.
Asked if it is an artiste's responsibility to speak out on socio-political issues, Richa states that it is an individual choice.
"We are artistes, it's not our responsibility. I've said it before, as a country we need better role models," she says.
"We are not role models, we are flawed." While Richa feels that it's a difficult time for artistes' all over the world, she is proud that Bollywood is still making films that deal with real issues.
"We have had a 'PK' which questioned the mob organisation of all religions. 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' is about peace and 'Dangal' is about female wrestlers from Haryana, where the
highest number of female foeticide happens. Laud us for what we are doing given the times that we are living in," she says.
Richa also believes that politicians are trying to distract the people by involving them in "emotional issues" rather than the "real" ones.
"I think politics -- or what's happening today in the country or all over the world --is a conspiracy to keep people distracted from what the real issues are. We have evolved so
much that we have Bluetooth and WiFi but we don't have drinking water in different parts of the country," she says.
She mentions farmer suicides and the rising prices of food grains, and states that it is the "common person" who suffers.
"But we are distracted by what I call 'emotional issues'. Everyone is so offended but they don't even move a muscle to do anything constructive."
To top it all, Richa says the media panders to the establishment rather than questioning it.
"Is there a free fourth estate that doesn't bow down to power, doesn't pander to whichever party is in power? Each time the government changes, everybody's opinion changes."
Roundly criticising the media, she says it would earlier pride itself on taking the government to task.
"Where is your spine," she asks?
