Power corrupts, I can’t enter politics: Ajay Devgn (Interview)
By Dibyojyoti Baksi, IANSMonday, April 26, 2010
MUMBAI - Power corrupts people and you need to be shrewd and play games to be in politics, says Ajay Devgn. While the actor will be seen playing a politician in the film “Raajneeti”, he says he can never be one in real life.
“I can’t enter politics because I am not cut out for it. I won’t be able to manage it. You have to be very shrewd, smart and you need to know to play games even if you want to do good politics to counter the bad people. I don’t think I am cut out for that,” Ajay told IANS in an interview.
In the film “Yuva” too, he had portrayed a character who is young but jumps into the political fray.
“I personally think that politics is not bad…in the sense people in politics turn out to be bad. Politics is important for the nation and good politics is very important to run the world. If right people come to politics, the country will prosper.
“I think power corrupts people. People who want to do good things…once they come to power, all become corrupt. You can’t just blame the politicians. Where do they come from? From our society, we bring them. If they become corrupt, then we are corrupt, society is corrupt. Whom do we blame?”
Prakash Jha’s “Raajneeti” gives an incisive look at the electoral politics of India and digs into the unscrupulous motives of the politicians behind their pledge of reformation.
Ajay Devgn says his character in the film is inspired by Karna in the epic “Mahabharata”.
“Mine is not a negative character. He does things as the character is supposed to do. The characters are inspired by the ‘Mahabharata’. And I am playing the character of Karna. Karna was someone who was on the wrong side, knowing that he is on the wrong side…,” Ajay said.
“When he was asked to come to the right side, he knew he could come and be the boss, but he refused. He was selfless only for a promise he had made and that’s what my character is all about,” he added.
The dark political drama also stars talented performers like Manoj Bajpai, Naseeruddin Shah, Nana Patekar, Arjun Rampal, Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif.
There were reports that Katrina’s character was modelled on Congress president Sonia Gandhi, but Ajay says the film has no resemblance to real life politicians.
“I think that no incident in the film or the characters are inspired from any real political incident. Not that I can pinpoint any particular incident. But when you see the film, you will be shocked to see real motives that we people don’t understand. We read newspapers where we are told that this has happened because of this reason and we understand that. When you see the film, you will know that it gets dirtier,” he said.
The actor says he has no plans to join politics.
“I can’t enter politics because I am not cut for it. I won’t be able to manage it. You have to be very shrewd, smart and you need to know to play games even if you want to do good politics to counter the bad people. I don’t think I am cut for that.”
After “Raajneeti”, Ajay will be seen in a new look in the third instalment of laugh riot “Golmaal”, but he is reluctant to reveal any details about his look and character so early.
“I have been told not to talk about ‘Golmaal 3′. I can only say it has no resemblance to its earlier films. It’s a hardcore comedy. When you see the film, you will come to know why I have taken this look,” he said.
(Dibyojyoti Baksi can be contacted at dibyojyoti.b@ians.in)
