Jawan director Atlee Kumar on being criticised for ‘glorification of violence’ in his films: ‘It is like a doctor’s injection, it’s for better cure’

“Why does a news channel carry violent footage? To show the world the truth. Violence for what purpose? For example, in Jawan, we have read about farmers’ suicides a lot in newspapers. We may have passed the paper but as a filmmaker, I am also a media person. I am also a part of you. I have a voice. When I visually show how a farmer suicide is happening, and it gets stuck in your heart and it brings some change, so I am using my voice,” he said during a chat with ABP News.

“So sometimes, violence is like a doctor’s injection. It is for the better cure, you can’t treat all ailments with tablets. That’s the reason we have violence. It is not to provoke anyone. For eg: in my films, if a dog is being shot, a person who attacks animals is a criminal and a villain,” Atlee pointed out.

“I want to teach the generation that if anyone does anything wrong to a dog or a pet, he is not a good human being. Unfortunately, all this falls in the caption of violence but it is the ‘bitter truth’,” he added.

Emphasising the importance of addressing social issues and conveying messages in his work, Atlee said that he believes audiences should take away more than just entertainment to contemplate later. “Right from the beginning, as soon as you join school, it becomes a part of us and not just a subject. It is as much a part of us as games, beauty, and emotions are. We must openly speak and discuss politics. If it is hidden, I believe that’s not democracy,” he underscored.