Katrina Kaif would have never thought that her comparisons to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi could bring troubles for her. In a recent interview, where she called Rahul Gandhi and herself “half-Indian and half-European” has attracted criticism from the political party workers. Apparently, she apologised publically to get the political bullies off her shoulder. Earlier too, Shah Rukh Khan faced ire from a political party during the
release his movie My Name Is Khan. So what is the big deal when a celebrity chooses to speak his\her mind? Why do they have to ultimately take their words back even if they state the obvious?
Mostly people under spotlight are the soft target and since they don’t like to get into any trouble, they take the safer route and prefer apologising for right things also. Says Kirti Verma, a 25-year-old interior designer, “I think it was not right to ask Katrina for an apology because whatever she said in her interview was her personal opinion. We claim to have a democratic nation but when someone expresses their views it’s made into an issue. What Katrina said wasn’t derogatory at all, she just stated a fact.”
There are biased rules for celebrities and politicians in our country when it comes to freedom of expression, thinks Tanvi Swarup, a 24-year-old marketing professional. She says, “It is unfortunate that a politician in our country can say the most controversial thing and get away with it, but if someone else tries to express his\her point of view, they are bullied by political parties. In the interview Katrina just mentioned that she is no different than Rahul Gandhi because they both have half-Indian and half-European linage. The party workers should not have blown this out of proportion.”
However, a few feel that if someone is in the glam business they should be careful while speaking in public. Ankit Singh, a college student says, “It’s better to be safe than sorry. Celebrities should avoid talking about controversial issues and try to stay away from political issues.”