Time for govt to understand there’s more to life than image building: Anupam Kher

New Delhi: Bollywood actor Anupam Kher, who is often viewed as being close to the Narendra Modi-led government on Wednesday said that while asserting that public criticism towards authorities is “valid in lots of cases”.

The veteran actor added that it was time for the government to understand that there’s more to life than image building.

“I’m assisting humanity, people in pain. I’m helping myself by helping others. That’s a natural process of feeling compassion towards others. People have gone out of their way to help each other in times of war, floods, drought, and earthquakes. It’s not the first time people are helping each other,” he added.

In an interview to NDTV, the former FTII (Film and Television Institute of India) chairperson also said that while the government has “slipped” somewhere in its management of the health crisis, it was wrong for another political party to use the lapses to its advantage.

“I think the criticism is valid in lots of cases. Only an inhuman person will not get affected by the bodies floating (in the rivers),” Kher said in a reference to the scores of bodies found floating in the Ganga and other rivers, leading to suspicion that they might be those of Covid-19 patients.

“But for another political party to use it for their gain, I think that is also not right. I think we should, as people, get angry. It is important to hold the government responsible for what’s happening. Somewhere they have slipped. It is time for them to understand that there is much more to life than just image building maybe,” he added.

“There are problems, pain, anger, frustration, that’s obvious… Lot of people say ‘You are always so optimistic’, but I say there’s no other way out for me. Our lives haven’t been smooth sailing. It is just that this situation has happened on a world level,” Kher said.

“How can you console someone who has lost a family member due to shortage of oxygen, medical facilities or beds? You can’t. But that does not stop life… I lost a friend to corona. I’m still doing my job.”

“I’m assisting humanity, people in pain. I’m helping myself by helping others. That’s a natural process of feeling compassion towards others. People have gone out of their way to help each other in times of war, floods, drought, and earthquakes. It’s not the first time people are helping each other,” he added.