‘Need A New Media With Positive News’

Annurag Batra, Editor-in-Chief, BW Businessworld spoke to Bollywood superstar Akshay Kumar after the latter released Vinay Singhal’s magnum opus Bhagavad Gita – Saying it the Simple Way. The conversation touched upon the Gita, Kumar’s films and his involvement in social causes.

Excerpts:

Tell us how relevant is the Bhagwad Gita, Hindu traditions and sacred lessons in today’s fast life? It is like going back to our roots? How relevant it is? 
It is so spiritual that we bow to this book. I am not at all a book reader, but there are quotes and proverbs that are really very inspiring and we read them. In fact, this is all about my education, this is what I have studied. And coming back to roots, it is not that I do Surya Namaskar every day. No matter how late I go to bed, I wake up early, and do exercise by whatever means. In fact, there has been not a single  day when I have not witnessed the sunrise.

For me this book is very relevant because I believe in solutions and this book (Gita) draws your attention to solutions. You are from media, I just want to request you to start a news channel where we get only positive news. There must be a channel name Positive News. We are fed up of news full of negativity.

Is this the time to make the Gita or such texts compulsory in schools, say, from class five onwards?
Solution is very much required in our nation so I think this book should be essential in schools. Why only this book alone! In fact, not only this book, any book or sacred lessons from any faith should be in school curriculum. It could be a collection of all faiths in one such book.

In the book, it is mentioned that one should concentrate on action, rather than expecting results. But we are living in a world driven by end results. You want your movies to be successful every time. Your producer might expect Rs 1,000 crore or may be Rs 2,000 crore turnover. How relevant is this philosophy of concentrating on duties and not on results? 
I believe that if you do your duties you will also get the results someday. I still think that one of my movies named Hera Pheri-2 has earned more than its first part while I still believe that the first part was better. There is still your perception that plays a larger role. I take it as a result of hard work that paid off in the second part in terms of revenue. Action done dutifully does yield results.
 
Akshay, you work so hard. You are giving back to society. You are a caring father. You also do your best to do justice to your roles. We talk so much about religion and spirituality. What do you think is the difference between spirituality and religion? 
To be frank, I don’t know anything about such big buzzwords. In fact, I have never even done meditation. For me the biggest religion or teaching is what my father taught me during childhood. I have not read any book; in fact, I did not read the book authored by my wife, I can’t sit and read, I am rather a good listener. I listen to people talk about things and absorb them. In some ways or other, I try to help someone every day and that makes me sleep well every night. No matter how much exhausted or stressed I feel, the simple gesture of thanks from someone I have helped, relieves all the stress.