PLAYING THE MARKET

Australians value freedom of expression but laws against hate

A flourishing society also requires more than just freedom of speech; it requires security, stability, a just legal system and a vibrant economy.

the mentor and the protegee together. Saif and the very fine and confident debutant Rohan Mehra just don’t have enough scenes together. In fact Rohan builds a better bond with Saif’s screenwife Chitrangda Singh in just one scene where the teary-eyed protegee tells his mentor’s wife that sometimes you just need to give the one you love a tight slap. The written word seldom gets to be conveyed with such unvarnished directness in commercial Hindi cinema where everyone either talks florid or over-casual.

A flourishing society requires more than just freedom of speech; it requires security, stability, a just legal system and a vibrant economy him - a very dangerous ambition to have. And who knows this better than Rizwan’s wife Chitrangda Singh, who in a role severely conscripted by the plot’s bristling sinewiness, manages to find her redemptive moment in the grand finale.

However, the treatment of the Aboriginal peoples in this country stands as a chilling reminder that tolerance has not always been embraced. The Cronulla riots similarly reminds us how quickly what we have achieved can be put at risk.

The proposed amendments to Racial Discrimination Act were put forward on the basis that the current wording of Section 18C inappropriately constrains our freedom of speech.

There is no redemption for Shakun. He is showman a ball of fire hurling down an abyss, and enjoying every moment of it. The film takes great pride in being clued into the inside workings of the stock market. Yet it never lets the tone of know-all self-congratulation come in the way of telling us the story of ‘When Shakun Met Rohan’.

Your character in the film is understandably obsessed with IKEA. If we happen to run into you at an IKEA store, which level would you most likely be on?

That section makes it unlawful to do an act in public which “is reasonably likely… to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate another person or a group of people” if “the act is done because of the race, colour or national or ethnic origin of the other person”.

My quibble with the rivetting script (Nikhil Advani, Parvez Sheikh, Aseem Arora) is that it takes its time in bringing

Whichever section my wife likes! I love setting up our den where my sons and I watch sports, so we might be at the level that has the loungers.

There is no doubt that freedom of speech is important but it is important because of the role it plays in our democracy. Freedom of speech ensures that when you or I go to the ballot box we can make an informed decision about who to vote for.

That is why freedom of speech is not absolute. In this country, it is criminal to disclose secrets which risk the lives of Australian soldiers. It is likewise a crime for a corporate executive to disclose market sensitive information to his mates. The law protects us from slander and protects privileged comments made to our lawyers.

There’s a character in the movie, a 27-year-old, exploring her sexual identity and whether or not she’s a lesbian. India decriminalised Section 377 only recently, with homosexuality getting legal approval and recognition. According to you, how have audience reactions to gay characters on screen changed over the years?

In Baazaar the emotions are tightly reined-in as caustic vitriolic conversations are let loose with not a care about who’s eavesdropping.

The reaction to the decriminalisation of article 377 in India was amazing. The entire business community supported the Supreme Court judgement, and most online and retail businesses had some form of celebration. As far as entertainment goes, with platforms like Netflix screening in India, gay characters are not at all unfamiliar to Indian audiences. There have been a number of important LGBT characters in Indian films and TV shows, and more and more people are expressing themselves freely. I think it’s great!

As a society, we recognise that these restrictions do not hurt our democracy or way of life. Indeed, we understand that they are necessary to maintain it. And laws against hate speech are no less necessary, because racism and bigotry tear at the heart of our social fabric.

My favourite line, and the one that says it all about Shakun Kothari, is the one in the run-down Gujarati bhojanalaiya. “You think I come here because I love the food? No, the food is terrible! But it helps me never forget where I came from.”

The brilliance of the line is never forgotten in a morality tale that never pushes its righteousness into our face. In fact I suspect the very assured debutant director Gauravv K. Chawla actually enjoys his grey protagonist’s amorality.

Saif’s blustering warmth keeps Shakun Kothari from falling apart even when the stakes are heavily weighed against him.

Your character in the movie comes back to India to work as a teacher. What profession would you have chosen, if you hadn’t been an actor?

Racism and bigotry leave people feeling exiled in their own home. They do not improve the quality of public debate nor do they assist the wise completion of a ballot paper. They are insidious because they attack a person because of their identity; their heritage. They imply that a person is inferior because of who they are. They are hurtful, divisive and can lead to individuals and entire communities feeling unwanted, unvalued and second-class.

I always wanted to be a chef! I think I would have been very successful at that.

How would your character Aja rate this interview out of 10?

While some of the other supporting performances just don’t match upthe ever-brilliant Manish Choudhary struggles in an underwritten role; Radhika Apte as Rizwan’s go-getting colleague makes space for herself. In a way she tokenizes the film’s morality. In today’s times you have to push your way into attention.

As a society, we recognise that restrictions on free speech do not hurt our democracy or way of life. Indeed, we understand they are necessary to maintain it. And laws against hate speech are no less necessary, because racism and bigotry tear at the heart of our social fabric

This is a truly unique interview! I have really never given answers to questions like these, so for originality I’m sure Aja would give this interview a 10/10.

Subhash K. Jha

Know Thyself as Soul

Comments today can also revive memories of past wrongs. Unfortunately, few ethnic groups have been spared the pain of racially justified persecution. Examples such as slavery in the United States and the Holocaust are well known. In recent times, the world has seen genocides in Rwanda and Bosnia, while today in North Korea persecution is justified by racial supremacy.

You are a soul of a permanent unchangeable nature, and if you would live as a soul, you would never be affected or changed by outer changes.

-Sant Baljit Singh

Freedom of speech is necessary so that as a community, we can debate political ideas and so that individuals can have a say on decisions that affect them.

Sant Baljit Singh

Section 18C ensures that everyone has a role to play in that debate.

Nurture your spiritual life through meditation on the inner Light (Jyoti) and Sound (Naad) and realise your true self. All events are free. for further information

1800 462 193 www.knowthyself.org

Together, we have built a vibrant, rich and diverse society. A society not focused on the differences between us, but founded on the strengths our differences afford us. Section 18C stands, not as a threat to freedom of speech, but as a protector of the purposes which that freedom serves, and as a guard to an achievement exceptional in this time and rare in times before.

Matt

Kean is the Member for Hornsby and Parliamentary Secretary for Communities.