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Intolerance Has Been There In India For The Past 60 Years, Says Sonam Kapoor

Sonam Kapoor's Take On The Intolerance Debate Makes A Whole Lot Of Sense
CHANDIGARH, INDIA - NOVEMBER 23: Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor, during the function HT Youth Forum 30 Under 30 on November 23, 2015 in Chandigarh, India. (Photo by Gurpreet Singh/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
Hindustan Times via Getty Images
CHANDIGARH, INDIA - NOVEMBER 23: Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor, during the function HT Youth Forum 30 Under 30 on November 23, 2015 in Chandigarh, India. (Photo by Gurpreet Singh/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)

New Delhi -- Sonam Kapoor has represented India on many international platforms, but the actress says she has been a victim of racism.

The 30-year-old actress, who was addressing a session on the first day of Agenda Aaj Tak 2015, opened up about her take on intolerance, an issue that has been making headlines for sometime.

"Intolerance is a very broad term. I have faced racism in many countries. They see brown skin and they judge you already. When I go abroad people already have their perception, like we are always in parda (veil) or our parents are very conservative.

"Even we are judgemental, we see white skin and think the girl is loose. Judging is in human nature. It is on us to educate people," Sonam said.

I feel intolerance has always been there. We have seen all kinds of riots in the past 60 years

The "Prem Ratan Dhan Payo" actress feels intolerance have always been in our country.

"The dialogue on intolerance is great. I feel when there is a discussion and a country is ready for the dialogue its good. But at the same time I feel intolerance has always been there. We have seen all kinds of riots in the past 60 years.

"We have too many religions, languages and cultures, but at the same time there will always be judgements. But the fact that people know about it is a very healthy aspect," she said.

Actor Aamir Khan had received a lot of backlash for his comments on intolerance and Sonam thinks what the "PK" star said was not irrelevant, but may be it were "too extreme".

"Aamir Khan has already given clarification on his statement... If somebody is critiquing something it doesn't make him anti-national. Constructive criticism is always healthy.

If somebody is critiquing something it doesn't make him anti-national

"Aamir, one of the biggest star of the country, said something and people became so negative towards him. Now, do you think he will ever speak about any issue like that? May be it was too extreme what he said, but it was not irrelevant."

Amid the negative environment for artists coming from across border, Sonam, who has worked with Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in "Khoobsurat", said politics should not interfere in arts and sports.

"I don't understand India-Pakistan politics at all, but I think if people from our country can work anywhere in the world, people from other countries can also work here. Nothing is wrong in it. I don't think politics should have any space in the field of arts and sports.

"The fact that I have worked with Fawad Khan, who is a great actor, is completely separate from the fact that he is a Pakistani."

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.