Panaji: Actor Mohanlal's statements on demonetization stem from hypocrisy and it's natural that people criticize it, actor-producer Prakash Bare said here Wednesday.
"Mohanlal can voice his opinion on any issue in the nation. Nobody has the right to stop him from doing so. But he should have thought that there could be criticism to his opinion too," Bare told Onmanorama on the sidelines of the 47th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) which is under way here.
"We all like him as an actor. But more than that, he is known as a star for over last 15 years. Popularity is for the actor, but stardom is something that manipulates the system. Unfortunately, Mohanlal has got a lot of baggage with him. And ironically, he has criticized itself. Obviously, many people would criticize the hypocrisy in his comment. They would even analyze each word of his statement and criticize. He should learn to face it,"Bare said.
Prakash Bare was here to attend the screening of his latest movie Kadu Pookkunna Neram directed by Dr Biju.
Mohanlal recently invited the wrath of social media and political leaders after he vehemently supported the central government's demonetization drive. In a blog post, the actor called the move a 'surgical strike' on black money by PM Modi.
Rapping those criticizing the demonetization drive as a move to increase the hardships of common people, Mohanlal wrote: “We are ready to stand in long queues in front of beverage outlets, theaters and religious centers with utmost patience, as per my opinion we shouldn't fret when standing in queue for a good cause.”
Mohanlal was then widely criticized for failing to understand the hardships of the common man due to the surprise demonetization announcement which saw banning of old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes. Many even accused the superstar of covering up huge amounts of black money earned through films.