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Dutt on Ryan school murder: It’s so scary
The brutal murder of Ryan International School’s seven-year-old student, Pradyuman Thakur, has left all parents worried sick about the safety of their children anywhere outside their homes. Actor Sanjay Dutt is just as gripped by that fear. A protective father to daughter Trishala (29) and six-year-old twins Iqra and Shahraan, he says it’s beyond belief that someone can go to that extent.
“It’s so, so scary. Who can hurt a child that much? These kinds of crimes should never take place. Minor girls being raped or children getting molested… I don’t know where this world is going,” he sighs.
Dutt, who was in Delhi to promote his upcoming film Bhoomi, calls for severe punishment for such criminals. “Whoever does such a thing should be taken to task in a major way where an example is set. The government should take some extreme and severe steps. There should not be any trial and this or that. This is downright heinous,” says the actor, who, in 2016, completed his five-year term in prison for illegal possession of weapons, and is aware of how law and order can change the course of things.
As a celeb with influence, does he wish to spread awareness about such issues through cinema? “I would, but, I think, more than the film, what matters more is how people conduct themselves. I mean, how can anybody do something like that [to a kid]? Honestly, I couldn’t even read that [Ryan School murder] full article. It’s just crazy.”
Crimes against women are another concern, and Dutt’s comeback film, Bhoomi, focuses on that. “It talks about violence against women, which is a big problem in India today and I really condemn it. I believe in women’s empowerment and saving the girl child. Beti bachao and beti padhao is what can take this country forward,” says the actor.