“Narcotics is a dirty business”: Prithviraj Sukumaran delivers stirring anti-drug message

Actor-director Prithviraj Sukumaran made a powerful speech against drug use during the ‘No Entry’ anti-drug campaign held in Ernakulam.The event marked the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking and the launch of the five-year-long SAFE (Substance Abuse Free Environment) project.“No masterpiece was ever made under influence”Addressing a crowd of over 3,000 students, Prithviraj dismantled the myth that creativity is dependent on narcotics or alcohol. “The notion that creativity needs drugs is false.” he said firmly.“No masterpiece was ever written under the influence of narcotics. No good film was ever made either.” Drawing from his own experiences in the film industry, he shared that even among seasoned artists, most refrain from drinking or using substances while working. "If you think substance use enhances artistic ability, you’re mistaken," he warned.“Narcotics is a dirty business”Prithviraj repeated his iconic dialogue from the film Lucifer — “Narcotics is a dirty business” — this time as a serious warning, not just cinematic flair. He also pointed out that the threat of drugs is not confined to distant places or film sets, but is alarmingly close to home. “The distance from your home to the nearest film set is not how far drugs are from your family. We must face this danger together.”Work frontOn the professional front, Prithviraj Sukumaran's previous outing was his third directorial venture, 'L2: Empuraan'. Although the Mohanlal starrer created several controversies due to its sensitive content, the movie failed to impress the majority of the audiences. 'L2: Empuraan' featured Mohanlal, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Tovino Thomas, Manju Warrier and many others in pivotal roles. Prithviraj Sukumaran will be next seen in the SS Rajamouli's directorial film which has Mahesh Babu in the lead.