In 2018, renowned actor and activist Prakash Raj made headlines for publicly urging Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan to speak up on pressing social issues. Known for his vocal stance on various controversies and political matters, Prakash Raj has often been a lone voice among his peers, challenging celebrities to use their platforms to address societal concerns.
The controversy unleashed itself during a Facebook live interview with a leading media house’s former editor.
Here, Prakash Raj confessed his disappointment about the lack of guts and courage among Bollywood stars in speaking their minds over grave national issues. The nation was at the peak of outrage over the brutal Kathua rape and murder case where an eight-year-old girl was brutally butchered by the perpetrators. Many Bollywood celebrities, including the 75-year-old Amitabh Bachchan, remained mum on the issue, something that did not sit well with Raj.
Vishnu Manchu Hits Back at Prakash Raj in Tirupati Prasad Controversy: ‘Millions Of Hindus…’
In the interview, Prakash Raj makes an emotional appeal to the legendary actor with a call to voice his views on this social unrest sweeping across the nation using the powerful voice and the unimaginable influence he possesses. He emphasized that Amitabh Bachchan, being a beacon for millions, had this responsibility towards the future generations not to be silent at moments such as these. Raj added that since Amitabh Bachchan is an influential artist and intellectual, his voice becomes a force to reckon with in society. In fact he said that wealth and status give stars like Bachchan a licence to speak out without fear of repercussions.
He did not spare Bollywood fraternity, either. According to him, most people in the films industry were worried enough about their career and commerce to speak openly about the pathetic issues facing the country. To him, there was a divide between some of the celebrities and the common man to whom they owed allegiance, and he noted that many of his colleagues barely knew the most basic of civic and political realities. He claimed that this disconnection means failure to solve the collective concerns on which the members of society influence them.
He was very strong in arguing for the fact that success in cinema was not enough, but one should be a good human, take up for justice, and make a difference in the world.
Prakash Raj explained that he had never shied away from taking a bold stand on an issue during his entire career and had personally lost due to the stand he took. He said that his outspoken views had led to the loss of many film roles and commercial endorsements but continued to remain undeterred, adding that such losses did not matter since he was talking about matters of principle. He was very proud to be “rich enough to lose,” a statement so telling it made him believe that he had the courage to encourage others to dare say something when, at times, people could not bear to lose.
Fast forwarding to the present, Prakash Raj and the Telugu star Pawan Kalyan had a row regarding Tirupati Laddu issue. Prakash Raj took to Twitter to say, “Dear @PawanKalyan garu, I saw your press meeting… it’s surprising how my comments were misinterpreted. I’m currently shooting abroad, but I’ll respond to your questions when I return. In the meantime, I urge you to review my previous tweet for clarity.” On the work front, Prakash Raj has the most awaited ‘Devara’ waiting for its release.
