Exclusive! Anshumaan Pushkar: Rejecting a film or show for the difference of opinion of one individual affects a bigger picture

Living in a polarised society where fringe groups and troll brigades are waiting for an opportunity to ban, reject or troll actors and target their films and shows, every budding actor has become quite conscious of the way they conduct themselves in a public forum. Actor Anshumaan Pushkar is no exception to that.

However, the artist, who is known for his exceptional performances in web series like Grahan, Jamtara or Kathmandu Connection, holds a strong opinion on the ongoing troll and cancel culture.

Anshumaan told OTTplay, "Firstly it is a vast topic and saying things in one word is not possible. Everything depends on the situation but there are a few things that I feel about this cancel culture and I want to talk about them. Look, if you are rejecting a film or a show, based on personal comment, choice of lifestyle or some political ideological differences, then it is wrong. An artist should be accepted or rejected based on his or her art, especially when it comes to cinema. There are thousands of people working on a film set. When a film is banned or rejected, the effort of those many innocent people also go for a toss. Everyone suffers. Yes, that is why targeting a film or a show is easy but it is not wise."

He went on to share, "As an audience, I will not reject the film of my favourite star or filmmaker but I might be critical about their opinion. You see, what we play on-screen is where we are showing our talent as an actor; that is not always who we are in real life. So how could someone equate these two?"

"In fact, the idea of art is bringing different opinions and perspectives and letting them co-exist," added the actor who has gained visibility by appearing in socio-political web series.

His latest web series Kathmandu Connection 2 is currently streaming on SonyLIV.