Every celebrity supports one cause or the other just by their mere presence or by attending events. However, there are hardly a few of them who are going out there and doing field work. Agreeing, Runway 34 actor Hrishikesh Pandey feels this needs to change and celebs do have the power to make a difference given the fan following they command.
“A lot of celebrities do these promotional activities, but are not seen otherwise. Then there are some of them who enter politics, fight elections and make promises, but later they are not seen in parliament or elsewhere. I think every individual, whether he or she is a celebrity or not, needs to be responsible. We all need to do certain things for the progress of our country or state wherever we live. For me, the potable water crisis is a real concern. Many villages have no water, people can’t even take baths and use water for basic things. We waste so much water in our houses as we think that we pay the bill and can use as much as we want. We need to cut down on that, make sure water is not misused. Another thing that is there is the usage of electricity. Even when I am shooting indoors, I see that I shut the fans and lights when not in use. Many people laugh but I choose myself to be a responsible individual,” he says.
If every celebrity supports a specific cause and constantly works on the field, then they can influence a lot more people to join in. And, together, it would make a huge impact because just donating money or attending an event or doing PR is not enough.
“Yes, definitely when a celeb promotes a particular thing or a cause, it makes a difference because many people look up to them. Like when Mr Amitabh Bachchan takes up a cause then one can blindly follow as his career graph and behaviour shows that he is a responsible person. Lot of people are not responsible no matter whether they are celebrities or not, so then that doesn’t make a difference. These people are also not taken seriously,” he adds.
The most effective way to bring about a change is that we need to change ourselves first, according to Hrishikesh. “Many a times we see people crossing traffic signals even when it’s red, but the moment you stop, then others follow suit. People do follow each other, so individually we can all make a difference with our work and behaviour. We need to do the right thing and encourage other people to do it. Then only change can be brought. Blaming each other won’t bring about any solution,” he shares.
Talking about the causes close to his heart, the CID actor adds, “Water and environmental problems are top ones in my list. Keeping the country clean is a major headache. It really hurts me when I see people throwing anything anywhere when they are outside. We all get affected but people have the attitude ‘ki chalta hai’ and I hate that. From my side I make sure it’s not done.”
