Soha says returning awards is a personal choice

She (Tagore) is very passionate about certain things and I know she has been vocal. I completely respect her point of view

Soha Ali Khan, actor

Actor Soha Ali Khan (right) says she has had discussions with her mother, veteran actor Sharmila Tagore about the recent spate of writers and filmmakers returning awards given to them by the Indian government. They have returned their awards to protest the growing intolerance against independent voices. But Soha believes that returning or keeping the awards is a matter of personal choice.

“We’ve had discussions. She (Tagore) is very passionate about certain things and I know she has been vocal. I completely respect her point of view. Both of us come from a secular and liberal school of thought. But my take is each to their own,” she says, adding, “People who have awards — it’s their personal choice if they want to keep or return them.”

Tagore has said the attacks on writers and artistes were against the basic principles of democracy. Tagore, along with numerous other Bollywood celebrities came out in support of the Pakistani artistes being targeted, asserting that art and creativity shouldn’t be throttled. Talking about her and her mother’s thought process, she says though they do differ at times, but their thoughts certainly aren’t poles apart. “We have a similar line of thought. I had a different educational system and so I have my own thoughts as well,” she says.