‘An invisible mob on internet lynches people without info’
Actor Rahul Bhat has had an interesting journey in showbiz. He started off with acting, got into producing television shows, and got back to acting in 2014 with Anurag Kashyap’s Ugly.
Starring in the recently released Section 375: Marzi Ya Zabardasti, he portrays the role of a film director accused of raping a crew member. It’s easy to hence label him as the film’s villain, but Rahul is quick to explain that is what the film is all about.
“It’s not really negative,” he continues, adding, “It’s a film about who is speaking the truth, how we manipulate everything, and how easily laws can be manipulated. It’s about what happens when a verdict is already given, the person being called guilty without any proper trial. There’s an invisible mob on the internet; they lynch a person without knowing what it’s all about. It’s about law vs justice. Hum Facebook aur Twitter pe aadmi ko khatam kar dete hain.”
It’s this aspect of social media that can be quite bothering. “Everything has become easy for people to comment on. Aur phir jab khud ek din fanste hain, toh chillate hain ‘mere saath galat hua’. It’s a very sensitive film about women, as well as men’s rights,” adds Rahul.
Asked if he was at all apprehensive about taking up such a project, he says, “I’ve done Daas Dev (2018), Ugly… When I heard the script of Section 375, I thought it was complicated. But what’s life without a challenge? All actors shy away from such roles. Sunke bhaag jaate hain.”
But as someone without any backing, is it at all easy to take risks? Rahul agrees and
elaborates, “When you come from outside, you don’t know people. It’s tough in any field, but particularly in films. Yahaan pe khandaani system bhi rehta tha, par aisa nahi ki baahar se logon ne enter nahi kiya. At the end of the day, if you are good, nothing will stop you. Who is governing our movies are studios, who are putting in money. Thoda game change ho raha hai.”