Vikrant Massey answers if he’s still secular: ‘I and my parents had inter-faith marriages; my brother converted to another religion’

Although the film, which is backed by Shobha Kapoor, Amul V Mohan, Ektaa R Kapoor, and Anshul Mohan, is set to hit the screens on November 15, it is already on the receiving end of polarising responses. One of the strongest criticism levied against the film is the presence of Vikrant himself, whose secular credentials are being questioned over his association with The Sabarmati Report. Responding to these criticisms in an interview with Shubhankar Mishra’s show, Unplugged, Vikrant asked, “Why do you think I am not secular today? It is a secular person who can stand by your side irrespective of religion, caste, and background affiliations.”

Going on to explain the problems of labelling everything in the binary, Vikrant argued, “I am still a secular person. I am still a liberal. Unfortunately, on social media it is all about the extremes.” When asked to explain what secularism is to him, the Haseen Dillruba actor said, “Live together, and give each other the benefit of doubt. Respect others’ culture, and be proud of your own.” He qualified that he has ‘changed and evolved’ with time and age. In the same conversation, he said, “Pehle mujhe lagta tha Hindu khtre mei hain, ab mujhe nahi lagta Hindu khatrein mein hai; pehle mujhe lagta tha Muslim khatre mei hai, ab mujhe nahi lagta Muslim khatrei mei hai.”

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Vikrant listed a few more points including not to put down others, and not elevate oneself just to insult someone else. “The country’s DNA is still unity in diversity. I am still the same. You know the situation in my house. My parents had an inter-caste marriage. So did I. My brother converted to another religion. What can be more secular?” pointed out Vikrant.