Anant: Aamir do you find social media is also encouraging you to take a point of view. I am sure you get haggled to say you know ispe kuch batao' uspe kuch batao', take a stance more than you would like to.
Aamir: No I don't think social media has at all affected or propelled me to make public statements. I think social media is just one more platform if you feel like saying something on it then you can use it. So the desire to say something makes me say what I want to and not the platform.
Anant: But off late Aamir, last 5-6 months artistes have after a very long time been getting up and taking a stance, especially the last couple of months. Your thoughts about the stance that your contemporaries have taken, even other artistes not just actors.
Aamir: Well, I think for creative people to voice what they feel is important and I think that a number of creative people like scientists, historians increasingly had a certain feeling in them which they felt to express. So, for creative people to express their dissatisfaction and disappointment is to return awards. I think that is one way of getting your point across, certainly.
Anant: So, you are endorsing the way there was a protest.
Aamir: Yes, I would actually endorse any protest which is non-violent... as long as you don't start beating up people, as long as you don't resort to violence. All individuals have a right to protest and they can protest in any manner that they feel is right as long as they are not phsically harming people or taking law into their hands. It is certainly a way to protest.. for creative people.
Anant: Aamir, are you agreeing with the protest or do you think it's called for... do you think it is premature?
Aamir: Well, I think, if I am not mistaken there are so many people in this room who are much more knowledgeable than me so I am feeling intimidated to speak in front of all of you. But my understanding is that a lot of people from the creative fraternity are protesting because of the growing discomfort they felt or the growing atmosphere of intolerance that they felt around them... growing sense of insecurity and disappointment with that, and as a result that was their way of showing that they are not happy with the situation.
As an individual myself, as a part of the country, as a citizen, we read in newspapers what's happening and certainly I have also been alarmed. I can't deny that I am alarmed.. by a number of incidences. For any society it is very important to have a sense of security. I mean there will be acts of violence in world for different reasons. But for us as Indians, as a part of society to have a sense of security... two-three things are very important, I feel. One is sense of justice. If there is a wrong step that anyone takes, then a correct justice is what is required. Common man should feel that justice will be done. That's what gives a sense of security. The second and very important sense of security is the people who are our elected representatives - people who we select to look after us for five years if at state level or Centre. When people take law in to their hands and when there is a sense of insecurity, we look upon these people to take a strong stance, make strong statements and speed up the legal process to prosecute cases. When we see it happening there is a sense of security but when we don't see that happening there is a sense of insecurity. So it does not matter who the ruling party is. It's happened across ages. On television debates, we see where one political party, in this case, the BJP which is ruling right now, is accused of various things. They said, But what happened in 1984?'. But that doesn't make right what's happening now. What happened in 84 was disastrous and horrendous. At other times also, through ages, whenever there is a violent act, when an innocent person is killed, be it one or a large number, that's very unfortunate. And these unfortunate moments are the ones when we look towards our leaders to take a strong step. Make statements that are reassuring to the citizens.
Anant: you know but..
Aamir: To complete my answer that there is a sense of fear more than there was earlier. I do feel there is a sense of insecurity. When I sit at home and talk to Kiran. (Wife) Kiran and I have lived all our lives in India. For the first time, she said, should we move out of India? That's a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make to me. She fears for her child. She fears about what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers everyday. That does indicate that there is a sense of growing disquiet... growing sense of despondency. You feel depressed, you feel low.. why is it happening? This feeling exists in me too.
Anant: So, Aamir you have faith in the media generally? You believe what is being communicated is fairly accurate?
Aamir: Well, so partly. I am saying like any other aspect of society... the kind of social fabric that we live in today is reflected in the media, is reflected in the films, it's reflected in politics, it's reflected all around us. To that extent, I think quite honestly, the social fabric is not at its best right now. So for me to say I have complete faith in media, well I will not say that. There are a lot of journalists young and senior who are doing a good job and who are upholding what media does really stand for, but I can't say as a sweeping generalised statement.
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