Nandita Das: There should be space for dissent, disagreement

Filmmaker Nandita Das says it is extremely important for the society to foster a climate where there is space for differences of opinion as it is the only way one can grow.

Das, who was at the receiving end with her film "Firaaq" which chronicled the Gujarat riots, says a group of people cannot decide what others can or cannot see. "We have to have the space for dissent, disagreement. A society, a human being can only grow when you have that space for difference of opinion to foster. There are civil ways of sharing. Now with social media, anybody and everybody can share their thoughts...," Das said in a media interaction.

"There are some TV shows, I don't like at all. I find them regressive but am I going to break the TV, catch you by the throat and say 'don't see it'? I will tell my friends, write about it. Let's use those platform to share our dissent." The filmmaker said there should be a civil way of disagreeing. "What you may be offended by I may really like, what I may get offended by... So who's to decide? Is there going to be a small group of people who will decide what 1.2 billion must watch and read and do? "I have always spoken for freedom of expressions, even when I've disagreed over something. Even if there is something on Nathuram Godse, I may completely disagree with the ideology because I believe with time only good survives... Everything is available on the internet anyway. What are we going to censor?"

She was present at 'Films For Change' campaign launch of 'Good Pitch India' hosted by The Indian Documentary Foundation.