The entertainment industry should not be blamed for violence in India and elsewhere in the world and people should be educated to embrace moral values to avoid incidents like gang rape of a girl in New Delhi, says Sarath Kumar, a well-known Indian film actor and politician and the current president of South Indian Film Artistes Association.

Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the inauguration of ITL World’s mega office here yesterday, Kumar said he was impressed by Saudi Arabia’s remarkable progress and the quality of life in the country. He urged Indian expatriates to return home to take part in the country’s development using their newly gained knowledge and expertise. Kumar, who started his career in Kollywood (Tamil cinema) as a villain, is now engaged in reproducing Traffic, a Malayalam movie in which he plays the lead role with his wife Rathika, in Tamil with a new name “Chennail Orunal.” Converting “Chappa Kurish” and “Ustad Hotel,” both Malayalam movies, into Tamil is another project. Asked about his role in politics, Kumar said: “My role is to develop youth and make them more aware of the system. The entire political system needs change.

People should be motivated and youngsters should be encouraged to get involved in politics. They should know what is happening in the country. They should be part of the system to build up the system.” He urged politicians to make use of social media to keep in touch with people and know their hopes and aspirations.

Kumar emphasized the need to fight corruption to strengthen India’s development. “The political system has to be developed to fight corruption. If you want to get rid of corruption, don’t give bribes. If you want to get things done, wait in the queue.”

He said the film industry should not be blamed for growing moral decadence in the country. “It’s individuals who need to be changed. The corrupt system should also be changed. The dowry system should go. We should enlighten our people about our great culture, heritage and values. These values keep us together.”