Noted actor Dilip Prabhavalkar, who played the character of Mahatma Gandhi in the movie Lage Raho Munnabhai, spoke to Vivek Sabnis about politics, politicians and Munnabhai
Noted actor Dilip Prabhavalkar, who played the character of Mahatma Gandhi in the movie Lage Raho Munnabhai, spoke to Vivek Sabnis about politics, politicians and Munnabhai
Dilip Prabhavalkar was in the city for the launch of his latest Marathi film Bokya Satbande. While speaking to
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MiD DAY, Prabhavalkar emphasised that he is politically cognizant and safeguards his rights as a voter. Excerpts from the interview.
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You have played different roles in your career. But have you ever donned the role of a politician?
Yes, many a times. I played the role of a home minister in Ram Gopal Verma's Shiva. Then I played a minister for cultural affairs in Sarkarnama, which was a Marathi political thriller and a chief minister in Dr Jabbar Patel's Vidushak. I like playing such roles as I enjoy donning the typical khadi outfit.
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Now that you are based in Pune, we presume that you would be voting for Lok Sabha elections.u00a0
Though I have been living in Pune, my name is registered with the Dadar (West) Lok Sabha Constituency in Mumbai. Despite my busy schedule, I plan to cast my vote. Also, I am of the firm opinion that no citizen should miss out on his right to vote.
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What do you think about the rights of a voter?
At times, it's quite difficult to select a candidate from the available list as none of themu00a0 live up to the expectations of the aam aadmi. And that's the reason many people are reluctant to cast their votes. Hence, there should be an option of 'Do not want to vote for any of the candidates' in the ballot paper and electronic voting machine. And that way, we'll have an option of not voting for any one of them and our vote should be taken into consideration in the final counting.
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Don't you believe in the election process?
I believe in democracy and elections, but not in the way the elections are being 'managed' by the politicians. It is a known fact that some political leaders do all to woo the voters from the minority community. If election is a simple calculation of plus and minus, then I feel it is wrong and something that we should be ashamed of.
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Do you foresee any solutions to this political reality?
These practices have been going on for ages and I am not an expert to suggest anything. But I strongly feel that there should be some control on candidates, especially those who win the elections. In my opinion, a non-political citizens' body, the election commission and the court can play an important role in bringing some change.
But you may be aware that the middle-class population does not use their right to vote.
This is nothing but sheer frustration. They have come to the conclusion that the ballot box will not solve their problems. I think the picture can change only if some strong changes are initiated. Political leaders should look at elections as matter of principle than just handiness.
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What are your views about the candidates contesting?
We see the same faces again and again. May be it's only the few who can afford to contestu00a0 elections. Besides, the criminal elements in the election are not new. Earlier political leaders had a nexus with criminals, but now it is the other way round.
What's Bapu's adviceu00a0for Munnabhai who has been barred from contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Lucknow?
Well, I don't really have any advice for Munnabhai. As it is the decision of the honourable court, it should be respected.
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