Veteran actor Anupam Kher recently said that while he has participated in protests in an individual capacity, he believes artists shouldn’t act as activist. The negative impact of demonstrations and rallies is the subject of his next film Kaagaz 2. Directed by VK Prakash, the movie highlights hardships of an ordinary individuals due to protests and rallies.

“Actors and entertainers are not supposed to be crusaders. In an individual capacity, I’ve raised my voice about whatever has bothered me and faced the consequences. I became unpopular with so many people but it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, I’ve to sleep peacefully with my thoughts,” Kher told PTI in an interview.

The actor, who took part in the India Against Corruption movement in 2011, said the ideal way to resolve issues is through “negotiations”. “We are an independent country, thanks to the ‘aandolan’ that (Mahatma) Gandhi ji did. We are an outcome of Quit India movement, non-cooperation movement, but the people of India were together, it was not something that is just helping you (few people) and not others.”

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Talking about the ongoing farmers protests on the border of Delhi NCR, the actor added, Everybody has a right to freedom to move around, freedom of expression, but not at the inconvenience of other people. This is the current scenario in our country, the protest, just because it is called farmers protest, I don’t think farmers all over the country feel like that, farmers are givers. We are made to feel defensive by being told that we are talking about annadaata’…I feel those who pay taxes are also contributing towards the growth of the country. I feel it is not okay to make common people’s lives miserable.”

Referring to the 2021 farmers protest, Kher expressed his discontentment over the chain of events that unfolded after protesting farmers stormed Delhi’s historic Red Fort. “That visuals will always haunt me when protestors reached Red Fort and they took out my country’s flag and put some other flag, I’ll not sympathise with such people, even if it is at the cost of being unpopular with some people,” the actor said.

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(With PTI inputs)