But time and again, many people with great power and fame have not been responsible. The latest case being that of Sandalwood star Darshan allegedly beating his wife.
Over the past few days, lots of print and television space have been dedicated to the star and his rumoured affair with actress Nikita Thukral, who was banned for three years for proving to be a ‘distraction’.
That the ban has been called off now is a different story altogether. But what about the man himself who has crores of rupees riding on him? ‘Metrolife’ finds out if stars easily get away with crimes.
Ajay Gokhale
Student
“The Kannada film industry was doing a wrong thing by supporting him for his mistakes.
For his mistakes, a struggling actress was held responsible.
Actors pretend to be such heroes in their movies but end up being villains in reality. They should be like what they portray in their films. Also, too much importance should not
be given to their personal lives.”
Akshay G B
Executive
“How can one even think of banning someone for being a distraction? It’s not right. Worse crimes happen everywhere and people get away with them.
This case was blown out of proportion because a superstar was involved. The wife couldn’t say much. Later, she took back her words and said he is 75 per cent good.
In India, it’s not just stars who get away after committing a crime, even normal people do. All one has to do is throw money or have some influence and he/she can get out of the mess. In the end, money talks.”
Apurva
Student
“I disagree with the view that big stars get away with crime. In fact, a big deal is made out of small things just because stars are involved. Domestic violence is so common in many households and nothing is done about it. But if celebrities are involved, it becomes a big deal. May be it’s hard on the stars but that’s no excuse to commit a crime. For the number of privileges stars get, they should also be able to deal with the downside of fame.”
Amitha
Student
“Big stars get away with crime indeed. With money and fame comes power, and unfortunately this power drives most people to misuse it. I don’t see why a certain law, as in a ban from the industry (though it has been lifted now), could apply only to the actress, not the actor. In today’s scenario, many big people get away with such things. They think they can change the law to suit themselves. Isn’t law supposed to be universal?”
Kiran Bindu
Professor
“Stars being associated with crime is not a peculiar Indian symptom. There are a number of international stars too, like O J Simpson and Hugh Grant, who have been caught breaking the law. However, there are more instances of stars being penalised in the West than here. For instance, Paris Hilton was sent to jail for drunken driving while Lindsay Lohan went to a rehabilitation centre.
The instances of stars being accountable for their actions are so few in India. We hardly have a celebrity paying for his or her wrongdoing and publicly apologising. This gentleman in question has not even expressed remorse. No one has even asked him for an apology. Why can’t they say they are sorry like how Tiger Woods did?”