Dileesh Pothan on drug use in cinema: “Don’t generalize, wrong is wrong” | Malayalam Movie News
Actor and director Dileesh Pothan has stated that drug use is wrong, regardless of who engages in it, and that it cannot be justified even if someone from the film industry is involved. He was responding to questions from the media regarding the arrest of Aavesham’s makeup artist in a drug-related case.
According to Manorama Online, Dileesh Pothan said in a media interaction, “In the past few days, over 4,000 people have been arrested in the police’s anti-drug operations. How many of them are from the film industry?”. He emphasized that while there may be individuals in the film industry who use drugs, it is unfair to assume that everyone in cinema is involved in drug use.
He further pointed out that professionals from various fields, including doctors and businesspersons, were also arrested in the recent crackdown. “If someone has done wrong, it remains a mistake. There is no justification for it. Cinema is a part of society, so if there are drug users in society, there will be some in the film industry as well. But I do not believe the problem is excessive or widespread within the industry,” he stated. Dileesh Pothan firmly maintained that drug use should not be tolerated in any profession or sector.
Regarding the creative freedom of a filmmaker, Dileesh Pothan said that a good film is born when there are no restrictions. While having this creative freedom, Dileesh also puts emphasis on the fact that a filmmaker should have some responsibility towards society. He also thinks that there should be a balance between creative freedom and social responsibility. The ‘Joji’ director then questioned the censor board by saying that although there are laws, he is not sure if they are implemented properly. He also said that parents have a responsibility to make sure that their kids have access to content that are only suited for them.
