‘Extremism not same as terrorism’

Kamal Haasan says he will enter politics for sure, but not under media pressure

Kamal Haasan arriving at an event in Chennai on Saturday.

“ Theeviravadhi [extremist] and Bayangaravadhi [terrorist] are two different words. I deliberately didn’t use the latter because I was careful not to offend the Hindus in my own family,” clarified actor Kamal Haasan on Saturday following a controversy over his ‘Hindu terror’ remarks on Thursday.

Speaking to television journalist Barkha Dutt at ‘Town Hall,’ an event organised by The Week and Mojo, the actor issued the clarification in response to the Hindu Mahasabha’s threat that people like actor Kamal Haasan should be shot .

“I wanted to say that, yes, Muslims reacted violently [after the country’s Independence], but there was constant dialogue within the community. And then, Hindus started imitating them. This is not recent. Right from the Bhiwandi riots, I found that they had not changed the screenplay, year after year. I would blame it on the beneficiaries of communal riots,” he said.

Suggesting that the threat proved his point, Mr. Haasan said that politics was not about ‘isms’ but about people.

Confirming his political plunge, he said, “I will enter electoral politics. But I won’t do it under media pressure. I take three months to prep for a film!”

To announce before poll

Mr. Haasan said the announcement will come before the elections.

“We don’t need leaders, for people are not sheep. Who are these people? They are the people who come from our society, our district, our cities... The politicians’ corruption comes from the people. Are you willing to take that insult? When people change, they will change,” he said.