Arjun Kapoor – I can reach out to youth, influence change

He’s an entertainer on the big screen, but off screen, Arjun Kapoor has involved himself with environmental issues as the brand ambassador of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). He says that while he does not consider himself a torchbearer for change, he believes his star power among the youth can initiate change.

He has been renewed as the WWF ambassador for the second year.

Talking about taking on such a role, Arjun told IANS: “My job as an actor is to start a conversation. For me, WWF is not about the fact that I’m going to be the torchbearer of change.

“One person alone cannot 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. By being a young actor, I can reach out to the younger generation faster,” Kapoor told IANS here.

The “Gunday” actor also pointed out that the younger generation can further influence the older generation, who have for years lived with a certain mindset about environmental issues.

“The older generation has a mindset because of which there have been a certain amount of issues that the environment has faced. So, the younger generation can influence the older generation, and I can influence the younger generation — it’s a circle,” he added.

Arjun, 30, enjoys wide popularity after having acted in films like “Ishaqzaade” and “2 States”. He says with the kind of connect that he has with the youth, he can initiate a conversation with them over issues such as saving water.

“These are the things that we all learnt in school. These are things you are supposed to do… like taking care of animals. These are a part and parcel of daily activity, and we forget it over a course of time,” he said.

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” with Kareena Kapoor Khan.

Inputs by IANS