No point in doing just entertaining cinema anymore: Sonam Kapoor
Mumbai: Actress Sonam Kapoor is riding high with her lauded performance in "Pad Man." She says it is important for her to play roles that reflect the social conscience in these "difficult times."
Excerpts from the interview:
- Congratulations, Sonam. After "Neerja," "Pad Man" is another high point in your career. Girl, you are evolving fast. So much at such a young age...
- Thank you. But I am not that young anymore... I have only directors like Ram Madhvani ("Neerja") and R.A Balki ("Pad Man") to thank for this. I am a director's actor. And I've never shied away taking on a role for its length. "Neerja" was all mine. But in "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag," I was there for just brief playing time.
Now "Pad Man" is probably not all mine. But it's essential for me to be part of cinema that addresses critical social issues. There is no point in just doing entertaining film anymore. That, to me, would be very khokhla (hollow). There has to be a relevance to it beyond just having a good time at the movies.
- Why do you say that?
- Because we are going through tough times. It's a challenging phase for us women. Those of us who have a platform and a voice must use it to express what we believe in. "Pad Man" addresses itself to the question of menstruation. It's a huge issue for a majority of woman in our country. It didn't take me long to say yes to "Pad Man". And I am so glad I did it.
- Farhan Akhtar was telling me he would not do roles that set the wrong precedent in today's troubled times. He wouldn't play a serial rapist or a child molester just to be challenged as an actor. Your take?
- I wouldn't mind doing a negative role provided it doesn't glorify the character or make her negativity a virtue. As an actor, we are put in a sensitive spot nowadays. I have to showcase my ideology while at the same time I need to do parts that challenge me as an actor. My next release "Veere Di Wedding" has me having a lot of fun with my female co-stars.
- Were you competitive on the sets of this chick flick with your co-stars Kareena Kapoor Khan, Swara Bhasker, and Shikha Talsania?
- Not at all. I am not competitive at all. If I were, the trajectory of my career would be different. No... And it's not a chick flick. It's a dramedy. We girls had a lot of fun shooting "Veere Di Wedding". I was working with Kareena Kapoor for the first time. I adore her. She is so beautiful and just not conscious of her looks.
- You are also working with your father Anil Kapoor for the first time.
- Yes, in a Yash Raj Films project that I'm shooting right now. We have done two ads together. But this is the first time we are shooting a feature film together. All I can tell you at the moment is that it's a different person I am shooting with as compared with my father at home.
- Has he let his beard grow grey to look like your father?
- Why don't you ask him? You get to speak to him more than I do.
- In "Pad Man," your relationship with your father played by actor Sunil Sinha is exceptional. Did you borrow from your relationship with your father?
- No. I didn't have to. The relationship was so beautifully written in the script. And my co-star was such a fantastic actor. I love working with actors who are more accomplished than me. It's the only way to learn on the job.
- Your character Pari is the catalyst which propels the protagonist's aspirations. Did you ever realize your role would be so pivotal?
- I firmly believe there is a woman behind every man's success. And why just a woman? Every successful man or woman has to have a support system.
- The menstruation issue is still kept under wraps in our home. The film makes us think about why we need to be so secretive and squeamish about a natural bodily function?
- It is a social conditioning. We are so used to talking about these things in hushed tones. We hope to open up a conversation with this film.
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EC can choose counting personnel, no further order needed: SC on TMC plea
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Saturday said no further order was necessary on the TMC's plea challenging the Calcutta High Court's dismissal of its petition against an Election Commission circular on the deployment of central government personnel for vote counting in West Bengal.
A special bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Joymalya Bagchi said the Election Commission can choose the counting personnel, and its April 13 circular, which provides for deployment of state government employees as well, cannot be said to be incorrect.
The poll body said the apprehensions of Trinamool Congress (TMC) of any wrongdoing is misplaced, as the circular very clearly states that there will be a mix of central and state government employees.
The Election Commission assured the court that the circular would be implemented in letter and spirit, and there would be state government employees also during the counting of votes on May 4.
At the outset, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the TMC, said the circular was dated April 13, but they came to know about it on April 29.
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He said there are four issues: One, the circular appointing Central employees was issued to DEOs on April 13, but came to their knowledge only on April 29; Two, the Election Commission says it has apprehensions of irregularity, despite having a Central nominee in the counting process; Three, the poll body already has a Central government officer at each counting table in the form of a micro observer, and four, the commission has not appointed state nominees even though the circular provides so.
Sibal submitted that the Chief Electoral Officer's communication states that there are apprehensions expressed from various quarters regarding possible irregularities in counting.
"That is like pointing a finger at the state government..." Sibal said, adding, "There must be some data. Where is (the proof of) the apprehension (raised) from each booth? They have not disclosed this. And why not tell us that they are going to have a Central government nominee?"
The bench, which held a special sitting, told Sibal that even if the Election Commission's circular had provided for the appointment of Central employees as both the counting supervisor and the counting assistant, the court could not have faulted the decision.
"The option is open for the Election Commission: whether the counting supervisor and assistant may be of the Central or the state government. When that option is open, we cannot hold that the notification is contrary to regulations. Even if the EC says that both of them can be Central government employees, we could not have faulted them. Because regulations say that either the Central government or state government officers can be appointed," Justice Bagchi told Sibal.
Sibal then submitted that the court may ask the Election Commission to follow the impugned circular in its entirety, which provides for a state government nominee.
"All we want is, in terms of the circular, the state government nominee should be there," he said.
Justice Bagchi asked if he wants compliance with the circular, then why is the TMC before the court.
Senior advocate D S Naidu, appearing for the Election Commission, submitted that the returning officer is a state government employee with overarching power to deploy personnel from any pool of government employees.
"We are saying that there will be state government employees during the counting of votes," Naidu submitted, adding that each candidate will also have their own counting agent.
"The TMC's apprehension of any wrongdoing is completely misplaced," he reiterated.
The bench then disposed of the plea, saying that no further order is necessary and reiterated that the Election Commission will follow its circular in letter and spirit.
Polling for the 294-member West Bengal Assembly was held in two phases -- April 23 and April 29. The counting of votes will be taken up on May 4.
On April 30, the Calcutta High Court dismissed the TMC's petition against the Election Commission circular, saying there was no illegality in the poll panel's decision to appoint counting supervisors and assistants from Central government and Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) employees, instead of the state government staff.
In the high court, the TMC had challenged an April 13 communication issued by the additional chief electoral officer of West Bengal that stated that at least one of the counting supervisors or assistants at each table should be a Central government or PSU employee.
The TMC's counsel had argued before the high court that the communication was issued without jurisdiction and was based on mere apprehension.
The EC's counsel had contended before the high court that the Representation of the People Act, 1951, allows delegation of the commission's functions and that the directive was valid.
The poll panel's counsel had also submitted that the communication was issued on April 13, but the petition was filed only on April 30, close to the counting date, alleging that the move was intended to stall the process.
The high court had not agreed with the TMC's allegation that its main opponent, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), controls the employees of the Central government or PSUs, making them susceptible to suggestions and control by the Union government.
It had also noted that apart from the counting supervisors and assistants, micro-observers, counting agents of candidates, and other personnel would also be present in the counting hall.
