I applaud media for playing a very serious role in this country: Saif Ali Khan

‘At the risk of being called elitist’, Saif Ali Khan says he didn’t vote all these years because he felt his vote didn’t matter, but says he will now, and that he’d like to vote for a good ‘father figure’
The Bullett Raja seems to have bitten this particular bullet and, in a rare instance of candour (or just plain indiscretion), decided to elaborate on his political views.Saif Ali Khan, still slightly nettled after that morning’s ruckus in Delhi at an event to raise voter awareness, launched quite easily into a explanation of why he hasn’t voted all these years and why he will this year. ‘At the risk of sounding elitist’ was an oft-used disclaimer, but we’ll leave you to decide where you stand, on where he stands. Excerpts:
What was all the noise about at the voter awareness bike rally organised by the north district magistrate’s office in Delhi (as we reported, many in the gathering, including mediapersons, seemed to have shouted at the cast to leave, angry at the delay, and the crew of the film finally left without having been able to participate in the rally)?
Apparently, we were half an hour late, which was what seemed to be what the issue was. But the issue wasn’t that. I feel it was that they put us strategically into a very wrong place – we drove into the Election Commissioner’s office and then went down three-four galis and then the crowds started intensifying . Finally, we ended up in the back end of a small room with about a thousand of them (the gathered crowd and media) – or maybe a few hundred. And then they started stampeding and screaming, or yelling, which is, you know, normal. We sat there for a while, and then there was a fight, at which point they started beating up the police! At this point we thought it would be a good time to leave. I can say this with all confidence because it’s recorded. It’s now actually quite amusing. I so applaud the media for playing a very serious role in this country, because otherwise it would be more corrupt and there would be no law and order. The only thing people seem to be afraid of is bad publicity, which leads to prompt jail sentences, and it’s brilliant what you guys do. But there’s a certain amount of housecleaning that you guys should do also, and senior members of your fraternity should keep the rowdy elements in check! I told them, you’re not going to see me here ever again, bye bye, because I’m not coming to promote a film in this kind of environment ever. It doesn’t make any sense. Sometimes it gets too raucous. I think they’re not used to seeing actors or something – I really don’t think it’d be about an apology for being late. Half an hour in traffic and trying to organise a convoy – these things happen. We would have loved to do what we came to do – raise awareness for voting. Because I’ve never voted, I thought I’d be a good candidate to talk about it.
How is it that you’ve never voted?
I never wanted to. I had an apathetic outlook where first of all – I still feel, I’m probably getting over it – that our democracy doesn’t really concern itself with my wants or needs. It’s more the masses, and the masses really basically want cheaper fuel prices. Or cheaper food. With me, we’ll talk about issues like gun control, abortion, values, taxes. Isn’t that a really niche thing to want in India – where it’s people power, it’ll be about the majority, so somewhere I felt my voting will be… But then I read about it, and came to the conclusion that it was an uneducated attitude. Now I feel that we must vote for a father figure when we vote, or like a good head of the family, whether it’s a mother or a father. I think those qualities are important. I think when the Americans vote for a leader, all things being equal, they vote for a father. When Romney or Obama write their books, you can get a feeling what kind of father they’d be. You have to decide whom you want running your house or your country. If you ask me about an Indian politician, I’d tell you what kind of father he’d be, in terms of what his values would be, what would his race take would be, what’s his take on economics, what’s his take on how much we should be taxed, how much should healthcare be – these are decisions for a mature and kind father figure. I’m not bound to share my politics, but I just think it’s important that everyone vote because it’d be nice if we could get a government with a clear margin. Thirty per cent of people don’t vote, and I think it’s the duty of every educated, well-off Indian to raise that awareness among the poor of this country. In fact, it might be our duty to canvass votes for the people we believe in, in a personal capacity, of course, not professional. I’m talking not about a country where everyone is educated or everyone has a free choice. I’m saying, in Pataudi or in the middle of nowhere… If I think this person will get you water or food or whatever needs to be done… In Bullett Raja, it deals with corruption in the political system. None of these characters have gone abroad, none of them I think care where India stands internationally. We do. We want India and Delhi and Mumbai, our country, not to be thought of as a poor country with a population of a billion starving, illiterate people. We want to take our country into a new age. How do you do that? If you actually feel something, it is my duty maybe to go out and campaign a little bit and tell people, you know, these are the people who I think are good and who have nothing to take from you because I think they’ve got enough. That might be naive – I’m sure both parties are… but I feel it’s better than to sit in an air-conditioned room and say India is this and India is that. I’m at that age now where action is required and I feel it’s my duty to do that. That’s why I agreed to even speak about saying it’s important to vote, because I normally wouldn’t mix film and politics. My father told me before he died – because somebody offered me loads of money to campaign for them – he said, I don’t think it’s a very good idea. He said if you want to do it, you should do it because you believe in it and you should do it for free.
You say it was apathy that prevented you from voting earlier…
It was apathy and it was also a feeling that I think everybody’s corrupt and I don’t know whom to vote for. I felt my vote didn’t matter….
…and no one in your family advised you otherwise?
I’ve never been told anything. Maybe I think my father’s told me once that I’m wrong and I should vote, but he wouldn’t say it more than once and he won’t push.
With both parents politically aware, involved and connected, how is it that this reflex or thought developed?
Because nobody in my family tells anybody else what to do. They do what they feel is right. There are no joint movies, there’s no playing cricket… No, that’s not correct. I think my father lost interest in politics when Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated.
So what’s changed in your own mind from the last election to now?
It’s got nothing to do with the last election. It’s just that now, I feel like a privileged member. I don’t think I should move to Hollywood, I don’t think I should move to London and just forget… I think in order to be healthy and balanced, one should do something here. And I think it’s all up to us – people like us – who are aware, intelligent and well-off – to do our best for whatever areas we can. If you do nothing and just complain, I think that’s kind of sad also.