Over the past few years, India has been witnessing political divisions getting wider, more acrimonious. The film industry, too, has long been divided between those who support the party in power, whichever that may be, and others who are ready to question the government of the day.
Despite these divisions, film folk have always maintained that the industry is united and secular. However, actor John Abraham does not believe this. During an interview for his forthcoming Independence Day release Batla House, he did not hesitate to admit the industry is divided.
“It’s not secular," John said. "Who told you it’s secular?”
When it was pointed out that Ayushmann Khurrana, for instance, had said the industry is secular during the promotional interviews for his recent release Article 15 (2019), John remarked, “He is a good boy. But the industry is not 100% secular. I am saying what you are reading every day. It’s polarized.”
Nikkhil Advani, director of Batla House, added, “Both sides are polarized. It’s not that only one side is polarized.”
John pointed out that this is the current state of the world, not just of one industry or one country. "There is a breakdown of the system. Look at [US president Donald] Trump, Brexit and [British prime minister] Boris Johnson. The world is polarized. You have to deal with it. You have to be in this world,” he said.
However, the actor then moved quickly to cover himself, adding, “Having said that, this is the best country and best industry.”