Mysuru: “I will be able to understand the meaning of sustainability when I go to Badanawal and see the way people live there,” says Irfan Khan, actor and supporter of the Badanawal Satyagraha.
At an interaction organised at the Press Club on Thursday, the national award winning actor spoke of why he was joining the Badanawal Satyagraha, “I come from Jaipur, I studied in Delhi, and I now live in a big city, Mumbai. Cities today are the unhealthy side of the word ‘development.’”
“We have a wonderful history of interdependence with nature; we have a culture that promotes a healthy way of living. We’ve forgotten this and gone on to ape western concepts of development which is not working well for our country,” he said expanding on his reasons to support the movement.
He also spoke of the importance of promoting handcrafts and handlooms, “We must be able to promote indigenous traditions and create opportunities in villages so that people don’t come to cities and become servants to development.”
“When I was at the National School of Drama, I had a lot of doubts and confusions about my art and choices. And then Prasanna came to NSD to do a production and I was inspired by him and his work”, he said recalling his inspiration. “His work takes a lot from folk and tradition, and nothing he ever does is without the bigger interest of humanity. His work has a bigger purpose”, he added.
Answering questions about the recent spate of celebrity support to causes and movements, Irfan said, “If the movement is serious enough, I don’t think anyone can diminish it or make it less important. And there is also the responsibility of the media in making sure the movement is presented in the right way.”
When asked if he was interested in politics, the acclaimed actor said, “I am an actor. I am not an activist or a politician. I react as a human being to triggers from the world around me. I have no interest in politics and my religion is acting.”
He also reacted to a question about Deepika Padukone’s ‘My Choice’, saying he supports not just women empowerment but also anything related to the betterment of humanity.
Irfan Khan also spoke of his upcoming movie, ‘Piku’ where he stars along with Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone, “It is a beautiful film, and you will love life after you watch the movie.” He is also shooting in Budapest for ‘Inferno’ with Tom Hanks.
“I opposed the term Bollywood because we’re again aping the west. Don’t we have our own thinking and ideas?” the actor said when asked about his recent statement.
Sutapa Sikdar, writer and Irfan Khan’s wife who was also at the meet said, “We are doing this to connect to people. We have children and we want to connect to people and pass on the ideals.”
Director of Rangayana H Janardhan and President of the Mysuru District Journalists Association Deepak were present on the dais as well.
