Janhvi Kapoor surprises internet with thoughtful views on Gandhi, Ambedkar, and casteism

In a recent interview, Janhvi Kapoor, known more for her roles in mainstream Bollywood cinema than for political discourse, delved into the realm of history and politics. When questioned about her interest in history, Kapoor's response took the interviewer and the internet by surprise. She expressed a desire to witness a debate between Mahatma Gandhi and BR Ambedkar, particularly focusing on their perspectives on casteism, a deeply entrenched social issue in India.

Kapoor articulated, "I think Ambedkar was still very clear and stern from the start what his stand was. But I think Gandhi's view kept evolving as he got more and more exposed to (casteism). Ye jo jativaad ki samasya hai humare samaj mein, ek third person se jaankari lena aur usey jeena, usmei bahut farak hai, bahut antar hai." (this issue of casteism that we have in our society, to gather information from a third person and to actually live it, there's a huge difference there.)

The internet community, taken aback by Kapoor's unexpected depth of insight, expressed admiration for her willingness to engage with such a complex and sensitive topic. Many lauded her clarity of thought and understanding, with one user commenting, "Very impressed!" Others appreciated the rarity of a mainstream Bollywood actor displaying such profound comprehension of socio-political issues.

However, some internet users were left disintersted. One of them commented, “Lol, except taking two famous names what intellectualism did I miss here?” Another wrote, “I tried hard to see what it is that she had said that was so exceptional. Anything she said could be said of any two prominent politicians before 1947. Had she said that Gandhi and Ambedkar didn’t have and couldn’t provide answers to complex social questions.”

A third person argued, "I'm surprised that you’re surprised- don’t know what to make of it? What did she say other than ‘their thoughts kept evolving w/ time and Ambedkar lived poverty and Gandhi enacted poverty’ blah blah…most of us know this- where is the substance?”