Bollywood stands united against Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss

Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss

Indian Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has asked Bollywood to stop having scenes depicting alcohol consumption as actors drinking on screen encourage youngsters to take up the habit. He had earlier voiced his discontent over smoking scenes in films and had ordered a ban on them too. The Bollywood fraternity, however, has stood united against the Health Minister who is making the headlines presently for all the wrong reasons.

Mahesh Bhatt (filmmaker) –
Ramadoss’s comments are purely juvenile. Here in India when people do not even have basic health facilities in villages, rural health sector is in such a mess, his only deep concern is limited to film industry. Politicians these days want to grab some eyeballs by making such statements. It is like a ping-pong game; they want to attack and be attacked to remain in news.

Sajid Khan (TV host – filmmaker) –
Movies are for entertainment and they are not a cure for a disease, the honorable Health Minister needs to understand that. Tomorrow the government may decide to pass a rule saying ban oily foods in restaurants because more people die of cholesterol caused heart diseases than drinking! Actors are humans too and they like normal human beings do at times feel the urge to have a smoke when in public. I don’t think so that such an act by them may result in anyone picking it up as a bad habit.

Abhay Deol (actor) –
Aren’t we living in a democracy? We are in the business of filmmaking and films are about people. And there are all sorts of people and stories out there. But maybe for some, ignorance is bliss but I feel it’s better to be informed.

Sophie Chaudhary (actress) –
I think, according to the Health Minister, the people and youth of our country have absolutely no mind of their own. They only follow whatever we do in films especially the so called `bad` habits. Don’t you think it’s ridiculous to underestimate our people so much. It is completely unfair to always make films and film folk the scapegoat!

Madhur Bhandarkar (filmmaker) -
A filmmaker should have the liberty to exercise his creativity and not to forget we are living in a democracy. The Health Minister should understand that we are fully aware of our responsibility and he should take care of his and divert his attention to more serious issues.

Vikram Bhatt (filmmaker) –
In today’s times, the film industry seems like the easiest way to make headlines. When you are in need of headlines, lash out at films!

Arbaaz Khan (actor) -
Characters in films often reflect the interpretations of people in real life. Now real life is full of flawed characters, which is what makes it interesting to begin with. So if a character does anything immoral, give the audience some credit to interpret the reason. No one has the right to herd an audience’s intelligence. It’s completely there choice to decide not anyone else’s!

Rohit Roy (actor) –
A few youngsters may get impressed watching an actor smoke or drink in real life and try to imitate him but not by watching such an act on screen. Everyone knows it’s a character they are playing.

Vishal Dadlani (music director) -
I think it’s really high time they stop picking on easy targets like the film industry and find some real issues to tackle. They just seem to be trying to get easy publicity by attacking the entertainment business. Just when the elections are round the corner, does one tend to hear such sort of silliness blabbered out by those in power!

Shekhar Ravjiani (music director) –
For many years now, on-screen drinking has been shown in Bollywood. Filmmakers are not crazy to put such scenes on purpose. It is always the script that demands as a character requirement.

Shirish Kunder (filmmaker) -
Mr. Ramadoss, you should first try and stop the supply of alcohol in the society, rather than trying to stop it in films. Films are a mere reflection of the society, but you seem to be more interested in the reflection, rather than the actual source of the problem. So my sincere request to you is to please concentrate on the source of the problem and continue doing your job. The censor board is already there to think of what is good and bad for films.

- BY SATISH VISAVADIA