Prakash Raj Says Many In Bollywood Fear Speaking Up Against Govt: ‘Half Sold, Half Lack Courage’

Actor Prakash Raj said that while some actors are afraid to speak up, “half of them are sold” and choose to remain silent rather than question the government.

Prakash Raj talks about his political stance.

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Actor Prakash Raj has long been known not just for his powerful on-screen presence but also for his outspoken political views. Unafraid to speak truth to power, he has consistently voiced criticism against the policies of the ruling party.

In a recent interaction with The Lallantop, the Duet actor opened up about the silence of many of his peers in the Hindi film industry when it comes to political matters, offering a blunt assessment of the reasons behind it.

Prakash Raj says half of the actors are "sold" to the govt

Speaking candidly, Prakash said that while some actors are afraid to speak up, “half of them are sold” and choose to remain silent rather than question the government. He explained, “Any powerful government will stop discussions. Secondly, it should be within the artists also. They should also have the consciousness of the kind of films that they make, they would be willing to fight to release the film. That resilience is needed.”

He didn’t hold back when speaking about his colleagues, saying, “Half of them are sold, my own colleagues, and half of them are afraid because they don’t have the strength. I have a very close friend who, told me, ‘Prakash aap mein dum hai, aap bol sete hai, mein nahi bol pata (You have the strength, you can speak up, I can’t).’ I told him that I understand but I can’t excuse him because in future, when history would be written, it will forgive those who committed crimes but not those who were silent. Everybody is responsible.”

Prakash Raj on his political stance

Prakash also acknowledged the professional cost of his political stance, admitting that his opportunities in the Hindi film industry have dwindled.

“They are just worried that if they work with us in a film, they won’t get what they expect. So, this is part and parcel of it. This environment is like that. It makes me stronger to say that this is not right, so we will have to fight, we will have to raise our voice,” he said. When asked if actors lose work for speaking out, he clarified, “It’s not that you won’t get work, you do and you will, but not as much.”

On the work front, Prakash Raj was recently seen in Suriya’s Retro, and has upcoming roles in Vijay’s Jana Nayagan and Pawan Kalyan’s They Call Him OG.