Janhvi Kapoor Gave Her Two Cents On Politics, But Why Are People Shocked?

Janhvi Kapoor is currently busy promoting her upcoming film, Mr. and Mrs. Mahi. She has been travelling across India to promote the film through events and media interactions. During a recent visit to Delhi, she sat down with Saurabh Dwivedi for Lallantop. In the interview, she discussed everything from her debut experience and career journey to her thoughts on various issues, including a political topic.

At the beginning of her interview, Kapoor revealed her interest in history. When asked which historical period or character she would like to explore more closely, she cautioned the interviewer not to ask further questions about her response, expressing concern about how it might be perceived. She then answered, "I think it would be very interesting to watch a debate between BR Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi. Just a debate between what they stand for and how their views kept changing on an issue, how they influenced each other, and how they helped our society."

The studio fell silent, and the interviewer was visibly shocked. After a moment, he said, "Wow," followed by another deep silence before adding, "I am very happy and very surprised. It's my fault; I was not expecting this from you." He also noted that the debate between Ambedkar and Gandhi remains one of the most significant discussions in history.

Further in the interview, Janhvi Kapoor faced more politically-based questions, but she either refrained from answering or gave very 'safe responses,' explaining with a smile, "Training kar ke aai hoon." This part of the interview has garnered significant attention, spawning memes that highlight the world's surprise at a woman, specifically a female actor, possessing such a wise and insightful perspective on historical topics.

Take a look at some of the reactions:

This interview>>>
Janhvi Kapoor is so endearing ❤️

Janhvi Kapoor, beauty with brain. 🔥

Listen to film actress Jhanvi Kapoor's views on Ambedkar, Gandhi and Dalits. @JanhviKappoor#JanhviKapoor #Janhvi #Lallantop#Elections2024 #SaurabhDwivedi #LokSabhaElections2024 pic.twitter.com/scGuUapHJx

— 𝑺𝒖𝒎𝒊𝒕 𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒉 𝑹𝒂𝒋𝒑𝒖𝒕 (@BeingSumit007) May 24, 2024

Janhavi interview with LallanTop - surprised by her knowledge on Indian history. Is it a PR or she is really knowledgeable?
byu/Both_Possibility1704 inBollyBlindsNGossip

But why? Why did Kapoor need training specifically for an interview where she was expected to answer political questions? Why did the studio go silent when she answered so wisely? Why did the anchor say, "My bad, I didn't expect this from you"? What was he expecting? What was Kapoor worried about—that her answer might be misinterpreted? Why is there so much stigma around a woman having wise view on political topics? And why is there such a stigma around female actors, assuming they only care about glamour, great clothes, and vacations and have little or no knowledge about Indian heritage, history, or politics?

Fear of Speaking Out: A Harsh Political Climate

When a woman or a movie actor breaks that stigma, the reaction is one of shock. This shock isn't because they aren't entitled to speak up, lack interest, or don't have the knowledge. Instead, it stems from the political climate in our country, where opposing ideologies invite bashing, trolling, cancelling or even threats. Moreover, the harsh political environment in our country means that even a single statement from an actor can lead to their movie being cancelled, causing losses for the entire cast and crew. No actor wants to risk that. This hesitation reflects the broader issue of intolerance and the fear of repercussions for speaking one's mind. 

A Very Recent Example

Recently, Vidya Balan, an actor known for speaking her mind, bluntly said, "I am afraid to say anything because if I say, I don't know how it will be taken, and then the whole cancellation culture will come."  She said, "It hasn't happened to me, thankfully, but actors are now wary about discussing politics because you never know who might get offended. Especially around the release of a film, it's the work of 200 people at stake, so I just stay away from politics." 

When asked if this fear of talking about politics existed at the start of her career, she noted that it wasn't the case earlier. "This has started because of social media; people take offence at everything. They give their opinions on things they don't know much about. So it's best to stay quiet and keep working," she added. She said, "It's simply a way to control everyone's opinions and nothing more." 

But why are people so rigid and sensitive about political ideologies? Aren't these incidents a sign that it's time to rethink and improve our political environment to be more positive and friendly?

Views expressed by the author are their own