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I am a very mediocre actor: Amitabh Bachchan
Published on Tue, May 13, 2008 at 03:22, Updated on Tue, May 13, 2008 at 03:38 in Entertainment section
Tags: Bollywood, Amitabh Bachchan
BIG B UNPLUGGED: The Big says that he is using his blog to correct a lot of things being said about him.
Bhupendra Chaubey: You talk about you being honest to yourself and you being sincere to Constitution, so I will take up these problems one by one. The Health Minister, Anbumani Ramadoss recently made an appeal to you not to encourage scenes which are related to tobacco or alcohol consumption on screen. On your blog which has become a favourite pastime of sorts for you now, you came up with a very extreme response – "The Health Minister should think first in terms of banning alcohol and cigarette consumption for Government servants. One has not seen this kind of an extreme response from you for a long time now. What happened there sir?
Amitabh Bachchan: I feel that whenever there is ever any need to bring up an issue, people from the film industry are the first ones that get targetted or are spoken about. I am just trying to draw their attention to themselves saying look clean up your own house first before casting aspersions on people in the film industry. Yes, we are high-profile, we are celebrities, but that does not mean that we are all defaulters. Film creation is a creative art. If you are wanting propagate a philosophy which the Government or a Ministry is wanting to pursue, don't make us the vehicle of your propaganda. Then art doesn't stay art, it becomes a propaganda. That's all that I am saying and so clean up your own house.
Okay, you are asking Mr Shah Rukh Khan not to smoke and drink because that influences people and he said that if he starts drinking apple juice would the rest of country also start drinking apple juice instead of alcohol? So there are various arguments. And this is what I basically said.
The other thing is — and a point that I am afraid has been completely ignored and not taken up seriously at all — the manufacturing of the beedi leaf. There are beedi plantations...
Bhupendra Chaubey: So what's your point? Are you saying that there should be a ban on beedi consumption?
Amitabh Bachchan: No, no I am not saying that. I am just saying what about that? I am not saying ban anything.
Bhupendra Chaubey: So, you are saying that the Health Minister should target beedi production...
Amitabh Bachchan: I am not asking him to target anybody. I am just saying that if you are going to talk about us, please talk about these issues as well.
Bhupendra Chaubey: But why do you feel that someone is targetting you? Why do you feel that this is an aspersion? It's not an aspersion or a suspicion that is being cast upon you. It was a gentle appeal that was made by the Health Minister given the fact that you are someone who has an enormous impact on people.
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