The International Jury members, Shekhar Kapur, Jeon Kyun-hwan, Suha Arraf, Julia Jentsch and Michael Radford at a press conference during the 46th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2015), in Panaji on Sunday. (Source: PTI) The International Jury members, Shekhar Kapur, Jeon Kyun-hwan, Suha Arraf, Julia Jentsch and Michael Radford at a press conference during the 46th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2015), in Panaji on Sunday. (Source: PTI)

Filmmaker Shekhar Kapur Sunday said the “arrogant intellectual club” was dominating the debate on intolerance, adding that the perceived problem cannot be solved by returning awards.

“…If you really believe in intolerance, go out, do something. Giving awards back is the easiest thing to do. Intolerance is not affecting you so much as the people who are living under the caste system,” Kapur said on the sidelines of the International Film Festival of India.

“If you see nearly 40 per cent of Indians… don’t have a say… they are oppressed by caste, community, lack of food or homes — there voices should come in the talk of intolerance. The problem is that intellectuals become the voice of society… and that’s .0000001 per cent of society. Now there is a tendency among intellectuals to become a club and the arrogance of that club becomes oppressive. Arrogance of the intelligentsia or the so-called intellectuals is a burden upon society sometimes,” he said.

📣 The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App.