Actor-influencer Ahilya grew up in the spiritual commune of Auroville, amid nature. After debuting as the ecologically inclined Gauri in Singeetham Srinivasa Rao’s recent musical, Sing Geetham, she also made news for attending the student protests and speaking up about the Auroville Youth Centre being shut down. Talking to Hindustan Times, she says she isn’t afraid to speak up because she’s a humanitarian first and an actor next. (Also Read: Ahilya, 25, reveals what it’s like to work with the oldest filmmaker in the world: ‘Never felt generations apart’)
Ahilya says being humanitarian is how she was raised
When the students’ protests rocked the nation over NEET irregularities and demanded Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation, Ahilya was one of the few actors to join the students on the streets and demand accountability. “I think how I’ve been raised is that I’m a humanitarian first. I care about the people; I care about the welfare of my country’s citizens. I care about the youth of this country. And because of that, I’m willing to, sort of, be completely open about things that matter to me,” she explains.
She also addresses actors’ fear of losing work because of their politics. “There’s fear, I suppose, for people to lose work. Because so many issues become inextricably linked. There are so many elements that divide people,” she says, adding, “Speaking up about something sensitive is scary for a lot of people. But for me, I know my intentions are right, so I’m not afraid. Because you cannot challenge that. If you challenge that, there’s something wrong, right?”
Memories at the Auroville youth centre
The youth of this country were fighting not just at the national level but also at the micro level in Auroville, where the Youth Centre was officially shut down earlier this year after years of to-and-fro between the residents and the Foundation. “There’s this huge movement where there are a lot of things that are changing or being shut down for a variety of reasons,” says Ahilya. She also adds, “There’s also the age-old conversation of development versus conservation. I think Auroville has become another example of that struggle.”
The actor says she has irreplaceable memories of the place. “I’m very sad that the youth centre has shut. I think being able to spend time being creative, having music nights and pizza nights, and having a place where the youth can truly be free and open together is so crucial to the fabric of any society. And for that to be shut down makes me very sad. Especially in a place like Auroville, which is so much about community. I hope the spirit will not die and we will be able to revive it in a new space in the future,” she rounds off.