Arjun Kapoor makes a model citizen

Actor reaches out to younger generation about environmental concerns

NEW DELHI: He’s an entertainer on the big screen but off screen, Arjun Kapoor has involved himself with grave environmental concerns as brand ambassador of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). He said that while he doesn’t consider himself as a torchbearer for change, he feels his star power among the youth can initiate change.

Having been renewed as the WWF ambassador for a second year, Arjun said about taking up such a responsible role, “My job as an actor is to start a conversation. One person alone can’t make a difference, but one person can remind many people that they can play a role in making a change, and be a part of the bigger picture.” He added, “By being a young actor, I can reach out to the younger generation faster.”

The Gunday actor also pointed out that the younger generation can further influence the older generation, which has for years lived with a certain mindset about environmental issues. “The older generation has a mindset because of which the environment has faced certain amount of issues. So, the younger generation can influence the older generation, and I can influence the younger generation. It’s a circle,” he explained.

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Arjun, 30, enjoys wide popularity after having acted in films such as Ishaqzaade and 2 States. He said that he can initiate a conversation with the youth over issues, such as saving water, with the kind of connect he has with them. “These are the things that we all learnt in school. These are things you’re supposed to do ... such as taking care of animals. These are part and parcel of daily activity, and we forget it over a course of time,” he stated.

The actor was in the capital to host the eighth edition of WWF-India’s Wild Wisdom Quiz 2015 earlier this week. The theme for this year’s quiz was ‘Secrets of the Soil’, based on the UN’s Declaration of 2015 as the ‘Year of the Soil’. On the film front, Arjun will next be seen in Ki and Ka opposite Kareena Kapoor Khan. 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 11^th, 2015.

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