I voice my opinions as a citizen, not as political aspirant: Richa Chadha

Richa Chadha is not one to hold her opinions back. Often taking to social media and public platforms to speak her mind, Richa believes, “I am only doing my job of a conscientious citizen ,” she said at one such unpretentious conversation during a film fest in Chandigarh.

Radiating in the glow of her pregnancy, Richa, who was accompanied by husband Ali Fazal, spoke candidly when asked if her outspoken bursts have any political motive.

“When I have an opinion, it is only mine and I am not acting as a mouthpiece for anyone,” she clarified, adding, “As a tax-paying upright citizen in a democracy , I am entitled to free speech , which we all do. But often we outsource this responsibility of airing the right opinions to courts and law agencies.”

Richa added that the assumption of her being political motivated is wrong. “People often ask me if I have political aspirations. But if I am commenting on the pollution or inflation in prices of commodities, is that personal or political? I am not interested in becoming a politician. Bhai kisi ko toh politics se bahar rehkar apni baat chain se bolne do,” she said.

Beyond civic and social issues, Richa also spoke unreservedly about the Indian film industry . “We have to fight for everything in the industry like the Hollywood strikes, by Writers Guild of America or SAG-AFTRA, were able to achieve justice for its workers. And if you think established actors have it easy, that’s not true. Ali prepared for a project for the whole of 2023, grew his hair for it…and few days before its launch, the project was shelved. Javed Akhtar fought a hard battle for royalties of his lyrics. He too won,” she said, adding, “Especially with the advent of AI, we all have to be vigilant of our rights.”