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Being religious has become synonymous with being intolerant: Vidya Balan

Vidya Balan opens up about why she feels people all over the world misinterpret religion.

Vidya Balan

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan, who is currently basking in the success of Mission Mangal, plays a god-fearing ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) scientist in the aforementioned movie. 

In a recent interview with PTI (Press Trust of India), the actress opened up about how a person can have multiple identities but, there is a problem in the way being religious is interpreted today. She also stated that science and religion can co-exist rather than being pitted against each other.

"I think there is a problem with the way religion is being interpreted today. I know a lot of people who are shying away from calling themselves religious and I am one of them. I have always felt like I don't want to say I'm religious. I always call myself spiritual," the 40-year-old actor told PTI in an interview.

Vidya added that Tara Shinde, her character in the film, believes in a power beyond science, "Religious has become or obtained a negative connotation because being religious has become synonymous with being intolerant. But they don't have to be divorced." 

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"Not just in our country but world over, it is becoming you v/s me. That feeling of us has been diluted lately. I wonder why though? Does it have to do with fewer resources or access to fewer resources and therefore wanting to hold it and then finding groups to align it with religion or some language or region or race or something like that...? I don't know," the actor further added.

"We need to question ourselves over how open minded we are. This is also a world, where freedom, I think means that I want to be free but I want to control you. That, to me, is not freedom... Everyone is screaming out loud. There are some blatant wrong things that are angering but look at what happens on Twitter. Everyone is taking offence to what is being said."

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Vidya said her character brings her own set of tricks as a homemaker in the professional space and she relied on director Jagan Shakti’s research to play the part right. 

"I spoke to director Jagan Shakti's sister, who works in ISRO. For me, it was important to understand how she strikes a balance between being a scientist, an extremely demanding job, and at the same time being a homemaker. Jagan met hundreds of scientists and I think he got all the requisite information about the mission. And then R. Balki, Jagan and the team interpreted the theory the mission was based on," said the Begum Jaan actress.

Mission Mangal traces the journey of a team of scientists, who executed India Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) successfully in November 2013. The movie stars Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Taapsee Pannu, Sonakshi Sinha, Sharman Joshi, Nithya Menen and Kirti Kulhari in pivotal roles. Released on 15th August, the movie has earned more that Rs. 70 crores in the span of three-days.

Stay tuned for more updates!

Credits: India Today

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Vidya Balan

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Mission Mangal

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