Bollywood not intolerant, says Kajol

Choosing to play down the intolerance debate in India, actress Kajol on Saturday said there are no such dividing lines in Bollywood. “Our industry will always keep reflecting on what is happening in our society. It will keep on going and everyone is welcome. There are no dividing lines, no caste, no creed and no intolerance in Bollywood,” she said on the third day of the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival.

The actress was at the JLF to launch author Ashwin Sanghi’s new book, The Sialkot Saga. Filmmaker Karan Johar, a close friend of Kajol, had kicked up a storm with his remarks about freedom of expression being the biggest joke in the country on the inaugural day of the festival. In recent months, actor Aamir Khan too landed in controversy for speaking up against the “growing intolerance” in the country. Kajol refused to react on the backlash faced by the PK star, whose controversial remarks had evoked criticism from many quarters. “This is literature festival. I think we are here to talk about the book and its author. Let’s stick to it,” the actress said.

“I do believe that there is certain insensitivity in the country. We are turning oversensitive on certain issues” she said, but also added that “as public personalities, our duty is to speak well and intelligently”.