Youth icon Ranbir smokes pot for an 'acting' high

He is today's generation. He has got it all - looks, talent, the hottest girlfriends, the hottest friends, and the coolest parents. There is no denying that Ranbir Kapoor is one of the biggest names in Bollywood today.

This cool-hot star of Bollywood is also quite open about his life and interests. In this interview to India Today he talks freely about his upbringing, his parents, and his life. Ranbir Kapoor comes off as a very honest star, belonging rightly to the current generation.

However, what struck me in this interview is that Ranbir talks in the same carefree manner, on the use of recreational drugs. Considering the fan following and the highly read India Today magazine, these words of Ranbir got me thinking.

In the interview, Ranbir mentions that he has smoked his share of weed while at film school. He also adds that he used it again during 'Rockstar'. Apparently, it was an acting tool for him.

He says, ""I used it again during Rockstar," he says, "this time as an acting tool. It was hard to get in the moment on stage with 300 bored junior artistes posing as a real audience. Pot made those moments feel real."

However, he also adds that he has quit it now as he's too busy to get high. He also mentions that he cannot afford the short-term memory loss that comes with smoking up.

This is not the first time that Ranbir talked of smoking pot. When Ranbir was just two films old, he mentioned in an interview to GQ magazine on how he tried marijuana while studying in New York.

In this 2009 interview he had said, "alcohol or drugs, I have done it all, but I think I now have a more balanced idea of whats important and what's not important.

On further probing, he had admitted to trying marijuana but none of the 'harder' drugs.

Though Ranbir does admit that it was not the right thing to do, he talks openly of having used Marijuana and smoking pot. My question is, does Ranbir have a social responsibility towards society, specially the youth? Is it right to talk of drugs in a carefree manner, in an interview? What of the millions of youngsters who aspire to be like Ranbir Kapoor? What if they get inspired by the drug talks as we all know youngistan might just ape the Kapoor lad ?

Perhaps this is the reason that the Indian Ministry of Health imposed a smoking ban that prohibited actors (displaying) smoking on screen, in 2005. Wikipedia has some samples that were received when researching the intense idolization of famous Bollywood actors. Statements like, ""Sanjay Dutt in Vaastav holds the cigarette like a bidi … we do it unconsciously … try to copy him … but no one really discusses it." were made by the general public, which clearly shows the intensity of the problem. The Delhi High Court subsequently overturned the ban in January 2009, citing that the ban was a form of censorship that restricted the right to freedom of speech.

Keeping the situation in mind, do the stars need to follow a certain decorum while speaking to the media Or is it too heavy a burden that we thrust on our film stars to be righteous always?

What are your thoughts on this?