Hyderabad: “I would like to be a dictator if at all. I think that’s the way to go. I think that’s the way you can make change,” said Vijay Deverakonda, the Arjun Reddy star. In a deleted snippet of the larger interview released by the entertainment portal Film Companion, the Telugu actor made controversial comments on the current political system and the flaws of the electoral democracy.
When asked if he would enter politics sometime in the future, as many popular South Indian film stars did, Vijay immediately said that he doesn’t have the patience for it. He further expressed his displeasure on the electoral politics by saying, “The political system itself is someway not making sense. I also don’t think everyone should be allowed to vote.” The actor went on to cite the example of how only trained professionals are allowed to fly the aircraft rather than the passengers who travel have the right to decide on it.
Watch the deleted snippet released by Film Companion on YouTube.
‘You don’t know what’s good for you!’: Vijay Deverakonda
Vijay confirmed that he does not believe everyone should have the right to vote. Expressing his displeasure, he said that he will not stand in elections where people vote for money or alcohol. He continued, “I would like to be a dictator if at all. I think that’s the way to go. I think that’s the way you can make change. Like, just shut up, I have good intentions, you don’t know what’s good for you maybe but stick to this and 5-10 years down the line, it is going to pay off.”
“I think somewhere dictatorship is the right away but you need to have a good guy,” Vijay Deverakonda said. “I would opt for benevolent dictatorship,” he added.
Further, he also admitted to having certain ‘radical’ thoughts in his head that he won’t share because he knows they are “unacceptable”.
Vijay Deverkonda’s comments stir outrage on Twitter
The snippet went viral across different social media platforms, naturally stirring outrage. Several Twitter users expressed their displeasure on the actor’s view.
A user on YouTube commented on the video: “If anything, this interview only proves that we shouldn’t take the opinion of celebrities seriously when it comes to serious issues like this, their perspective is obviously jarred by the rich lifestyles and disconnect from the common people. And fans, at the end of the day, he’s an actor. I wouldn’t expect him to have a sensible opinion on this. As of now, let’s just have them stick to platitudes, and not expect any sense of nuance from them.”