Actor-producer John Abraham, who has been doing patriotic films for a while now, feels that world has now become a dangerous place to live in.
“The whole world is getting polarised. Now if something goes wrong, people start blaming a particular community. By communalisng, we are only creating fringe elements in the society,” he said during promotions of his forthcoming film Satyameva Jayate.
“After becoming fringe elements, people become extremists. So it is us who are creating terror,” he added.
Satyameva Jayate is an action film that highlights the problem of corruption and other issues prevailing in society. In its trailer, Abraham can be seen delivering strong dialogues. The film’s title is also India’s national motto, which is Sanskrit for ‘truth alone triumphs’.
Asked about lynchings taking place in the country in the name of religion, Abraham’s co-star Manoj Bajpayee said: “People have started making religion a joke. I also believe in religion. Everyone has his or her own belief, but instead of making a joke out of one’s religion, one should respect and protect his or her religion.”
Bajpayee also expressed anger over an incident that involved dozens of pilgrims turning violent and smashing a car in New Delhi.
“When I was 17, I also went on this pilgrimage from Sultanganj to Haridwar to fetch holy water. It was a wonderful experience, but now what I am reading from the past two days about the incident where dozens of kanwariyas, armed with sticks, wrecked a car... makes me sick. What these angry mobs did is not my religion. My religion is what I have experienced. By doing all this, people are just mocking their own religion,” the actor said.
“I have wonderful memories of [my pilgrimage]. I would like to keep those memories with me and not the ones that I am reading about in the newspapers. It’s up to responsible people to make the difference,” Bajpayee added. “Religion means trust. How can I let my trust be a thing of ridicule? It is our duty to stop that.”
Abraham also expressed his concern over women’s safety in India.
“People get offended when someone from outside says that India is not safe for women. I also feel bad, but this is the truth. So instead of feeling bad, one should do something and make a safe place for women,” the star said.
“If you see a woman being molested, and if you ask that woman, she will feel that her clothes are being taken off even without a man’s physical touch. I feel like slapping that man. First, what is needed is to make our women feel safe,” he added.
Actress Aisha Sharma, daughter of politician Ajit Sharma, who will make her acting debut in Satyameva Jayate, said politics was never a topic of discussion in their family.
“Politics is my father’s passion, but he never brings that to our home. So, me and my sister have grown up with our own mind and none of the decisions are forced on us. As a youngster, of course, I hold a strong opinion on certain matters. But I do not have a political opinion on every matter around us,” Sharma said.
She believes that due to social media, youngsters have a voice and awareness about the country’s political situation.
“We may or may not agree with each other’s views, but we have our own views. The opinion of the youth of India cannot be ignored by the elders anymore because we are an aware generation,” she said.
Sharma plays an animal lover and a vet in the film.
“She [her character] speaks her mind and stands for what she believes is right. As an individual, I love animals. I have a dog and I have a tattoo of my dog also. So, I really love my dog. I think that is one of the common factors between me and my character Shikha in the film,” she said.
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Satyameva Jayate releases in the UAE on August 15.
