A Time to Act…

….For the country,says actor-cum-host Annu Kapoor who vows to contest elections in the year 2014

A failed film,a lost role,an average review… for Annu Kapoor these are minor frustrations of life one can tide over. “But what does one do when a Rs 1,70,000 crore scam happens right under our noses? We sit and discuss like shameless people… now this is real frustration I refuse to get over,” says the man known for his vocal chords. In town to celebrate music,mantra and meditation through ‘Divine Journey’ with Chamunda Swamiji and Anup Jalota courtesy Tathaastu,a spiritual magazine and a mission at the Tagore Theatre,Annu has come a long way from acting in Shyam Benegal’s Mandi,hosting one of India’s most famous and longest running shows Antakshari to now making an appearance in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Saath Khoon Maaf and Fakir of Venice. “Fourteen years back,Vishal gave the music of the first film I made called Abhay. Today,it’s a full circle as I take part in his film,” says Annu,unfettered by Priyanka Chopra’s (who plays the ‘murderous’ wife Susanna) no to a sex scene with him. “I’m an actor and if the script requires me to do a sex scene,I will. Now whether Priyanka wants to or not,it’s up to her,” he says. In the film,Annu’s playing Inspector Keemat Lal who is sent to investigate five murders which Priyanka has committed. “It so happens that while investigating,he falls in love with Susanna and is killed himself.” From there to Fakir of Venice which premiered in Los Angeles last year,Annu’s now working on doing something for India.

“An entertainer cannot be a revolutionary. To be a catalyst of change,one has to jump into the fire and create awareness. To bring change in this country,I want to encourage every honest Indian to be part of politics because today,the honest man has become passive,inactive and a coward. One has to pull him out and come 2014,you will see me contest elections for sure. I may commit suicide,fail or get killed in the process,but I can’t keep quiet and let the country be run by hoodlums,” says Annu,visible disturbed by farmer suicides,rise in onion prices,scams.

A philosopher at heart with political aspirations,Annu,who is also on the advisory board of Tathaastu since 2006,carries on with his mission in life. “It’s my thirst for knowledge,this insatiable hunger to know more that keeps me going.” In fact,by the age of seven,he had read all the Vedas! “I’ve read every religious scripture 14 times,be it the Bible,Quran or Geeta. I’m 55 years old and I still feel this desperation to know everything under the sun.” Quiz him on whether he has found the truth he was searching for,and he laughs,“I’m an atheist,no better still,an agnostic. It’s the believers who have caused the maximum harm to this world with their extremism not the non-believers.”

For Annu,there is only one thing that exists — thought,and he is working at it.