Romance worse than item songs, says Farhan Akhtar

The horrific gang rape in Delhi on December 16 and the rising number of crimes against women in India, is making Bollywood sit up and take notice of the effect that popular culture and cinema has on the mindset of the masses.

The horrific gang rape in Delhi on December 16 and the rising number of crimes against women in India, is making Bollywood sit up and take notice of the effect that popular culture and cinema has on the mindset of the masses.

Actor and director Farhan Akhtar who has been vocal about the issue of women safety says, “I’m troubled by the skewed concept of romance that is shown in our films, where in, a woman is shown to playfully succumb to the constant harassment of a man trying to convince her to accept his proposal of love.”

He, in fact, feels that this portrayal of women is worse than that in item songs. “As far as item songs are concerned, they are black and white and you have the choice of not watching,” says 39-year-old Akhtar, adding, “Our female actors also need to be responsible while taking up such roles.”

Meanwhile, Farhan, who was in the Capital, is excited about playing Milkha Singh in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s next. “I’m so happy that the trailers have been liked by everyone. As an actor, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag has been an amazing experience. I have pushed myself a lot for this film, and I am very confident about its success,” he says.