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WATCH: Bollywood's Top Actresses Talk About Taking A Stand On Issues

Top B-Town Actresses Reveal Why Taking A Stand On Issues Is Easier Said Than Done

In a recent round-table interview with actresses Deepika Padukone, Anushka Sharma, Richa Chadha, and Kalki Koechlin, prominent film critic Rajeev Masand brought up a question many keep asking: why do Bollywood's personalities hesitate when it comes to taking a stand on 'hot-button issues'?

The responses that came in were interesting and highlight the difficulties actors face when speak their minds, as was more than evident in the public outrage that followed recent statements made by Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. Koechlin felt that there is too much pressure on actors to be "an activist on every topic" and said, "An actor has a responsibility to deliver in their job as an actor, just as a much as a banker in their job. The choice [to take a stand] is personal."

Padukone shed light on the catch-22 situation that actors have to deal with on such occasions, saying, "Where it gets tricky is when you take a stand, and you don't agree with everyone. If you do, then you're put on a pedestal. God forbid, if your opinion disagrees... the you know what happens. And if you don't take a stand then you're just branded as someone who never takes a stand... it's very difficult."

Agreeing with the sentiment of choice, Chadha added that she felt that people should have better role models to look up to than actors. "Why can't we have, say, better leaders who people can look up to... people who are actually achieving something, like astronauts, or scientists or farmers or something?" she asked.

Watch the video above.

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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.