Upendra is no stranger to controversies. His films in the past have run into rough weather due to their bold opinions and ideas.
Even as controversies around Padmavati are showing no signs of slowing down, Kannada movie star Upendra said taking the law into one’s hand only aggravates the problem in the society.
“We have a system. If we wreck it, what will our society become? There are certain rules to follow and we also have a Censor Board. I’m not saying don’t protest against something you don’t like. You can protest (peacefully), call the director and speak with him,” he told Indianexpress.com while reacting to violent threats and protests made against actor Deepika Padukone and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali by some fringe groups.
Upendra is no stranger to controversies. His films in the past have run into rough weather due to their bold opinions and ideas. When asked was he worried as a filmmaker to purse some bold ideas in his films in the present circumstances, Upendra said, “Even back then, had I been worried about running into problems, I’d have never made certain films. I did what I felt like doing. You may even think that was because of my ignorance. I do what I feel is right. But, when you do films on social issues or historical ones, you may face some problems. When I did H2O it happened to me too,” he recalled.
Watch: Kannada movie star Upendra in conversation with Indian Express
H2O released in 2002 when the tension between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu over Cauvery water sharing dispute was at its peak. It sparked violent protests in both the states, forcing the filmmakers to make major changes in the film.
“In that film, I discussed the Cauvery issue and what I thought we could do to solve this problem. But, the film was in trouble when it was made into a Kannada vs Tamil subject. And we had to make some changes in the film due to the controversy,” he said.
He, however, suggested that democracy is all about co-existence of different opinions or else it becomes the dictatorship. “Taking to violence against others because we are offended is wrong. And taking the beating without defending ourselves is also equally wrong. We need to strike a balance in society,” he added.
Upendra also said media should also refrain from going to town with certain issues. “Media should take some responsibility and avoid giving undue coverage to such issues. Some things we should neglect and leave them be. We should not glorify certain things. When the media makes it a national issue, everyone starts discussing it over other pressing issues in the country,” he argued.
He opined much of the discussion about Padmavati was making the things worse. “I have not seen the film and I don’t have the knowledge of its subject. People that have made this film, those who have seen it and the ones who are objecting to it must discuss among themselves.”
Upendra said when people who don’t have knowledge about the issues keep quiet most of the problems will be solved. “There are other bigger issues such as global warming. In Delhi, people are not able to breathe clean air. And farmers committing suicide in the country. Let’s talk about them. Let’s talk about issues that really matter to us,” said Upendra, who recently took the plunge into active politics in Karnataka.
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