Central Board of Film Certification chairperson Prasoon Joshi said that artists voicing their opinion should distinguish between “expression” and “aggression”, The Indian Express reported. Appearing at an interactive session at the India Ideas Conclave 2017 on Sunday, the advertising filmmaker and lyricist said that he did not mind artists turning into political activists if they knew what they were talking about.
“Of course you are free to express yourself, but there is a difference between expression and aggression,” Joshi said. “You can express yourself in a free world. It is important whatever is done in any field – whether it is art, education, social (sciences)… I think whoever comments about political things, which have a larger implication, should first know the subject. Just giving sensational bytes and controversial statements is a disservice to politics.”
Politics is an integral part of the entertainment industry, added Joshi, who has worked on the previous Congress-led government’s Service Tax campaign as well as the Bharatiya Janata Party’s election campaign in 2014. “Is the one who is indulged in politics a politician? Politics is a part of life; it is an ecosystem that we live in. I think everybody has a certain role to play there,” he said.