“I am a boring looking guy with a common face, ugly scars and a toothy smile.”
Farhan Akhtar may have used these words to describe himself, but we completely disagree on so many levels. With his charming dimpled smile, his twinkling eyes, that raspy voice, and a firebrand personality, Farhan Akhtar is a complete package and we can’t help but adore him.
Besides the fact that he is an absolute genius filmmaker and actor, there have been so many instances when he stepped up and opined on pertinent issues, never mincing his words and ensuring that his voice is heard.
Here’s a list of all of the times Farhan Akhtar stood up for the right cause and took solid steps towards ensuring a more egalitarian society:
1. When he addressed the wage gap scenario in Bollywood.
“I read recently somewhere that there are many female actors, who said they would want to work on a wage system that works even for men and I completely support them. If I want to cast them and they say that to me, then that’s what I’ll give them. But I can only speak about myself in relation to casting for a film,” is what he had to say .
This comes as a very fresh and commendable statement considering the fact that other male actors have very vocally trashed the existing inequality in payment based on gender that exists in Bollywood.
2. When he posted something heartfelt about the Dadri lynching on social media and shut down trolls with elan.
3. When he launched a social awareness campaign ‘MARD’.
Men Against Rape and Discrimination (MARD), is a social initiative designed to create awareness to instil gender equality and respect towards women. Through this initiative Farhan Akhtar highlighted the need for men to stand up for women’s issues. He advocated for change in the ideas of masculinity, and to campaign for the end of violence against women. “Be a catalyst for change. Empowering women, empowering humanity”, he says.