HT Cafe

It’s spineless to not speak up: Randeep

- Yashika Mathur yashika.mathur@htlive.com

Opinions and armpits... everyone has them. Not everyone is important but everyone has the right to it.

RANDEEP HOODA, ACTOR

Be it supporting cricketer Virender Sehwag in making fun of the Gurmehar Kaur placard video or appealing to jaats to tone down their protests, actor

Randeep Hooda (left) is forthright in expressing his views through social media. No matter what the reactions, he isn’t interested in mincing words in order to protect his celebrity image.

“In today’s world, it is better to have an opinion than to be spineless,” says Hooda, adding, “I feel that people get on social media to be offended, which is not the case with me. I get there to highlight issues. I think there’s a lot of good in the world, too, and my general effort is to highlight that.”

The 40-year-old actor feels that opinions are subject to change and whatever is said or done on social media should not be seen as the final word.

“Opinions change but it’s only when there is a dialogue. Whatever you write or put out is not patthar ki lakeer. You might feel a certain way in the heat of the moment, but that may not define your entire view,” says the actor, who has done some hard-hitting films, such as Sarbjit (2016), Rang Rasiya (2014) and Highway (2014).

Hooda feels that e-debating has its pros and cons. He says, “When you’re so active in conversing on that platform, sometimes your thoughts are misconstru­ed, but I think that’s part of the game, and I personally feel [social media] is a great platform for discussing ideas. You get feedback, everyone has a voice... it’s very democratic.

He jokes, “Opinions and armpits... everyone has them. Not everyone is important but everyone has the right to it.”

 ?? PHOTO: MANOJ VERMA/HT ??
PHOTO: MANOJ VERMA/HT

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