Kamal Haasan opposes capital punishment for criminals

There is much cause for concern in actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan's family, what with his daughter Shruti Haasan being stalked .

Now that the stalker is behind bars, Kamal Haasan can breathe a sigh of relief.

Says Kamal Haasan, "Of course Shruti's safety is my primary concern. I am surprised when I am asked if I am worried. Which parent wouldn't be worried about his daughter's safety? When I got a series of messages on Tuesday asking me if Shruti was okay, I was in a state of panic. I just wished someone would explain to me why they were inquiring about Shruti's well being. I had no clue what had happened."

When Kamal Haasan finally got to know the actual facts, there was concern mingled with relief. "It could've been much worse. Nothing happened to Shruti. I remember she was a child in 1994 when she rang me up sobbing that she had burnt her face. I rushed back home in a panic thinking all sorts of things. She had spilt boiling milk on her face. Fortunately her hair had taken the heat. She was saved. I think Shruti learnt to be tough at a young age."

A vocal champion of human rights Kamalji doesn't think capital punishment is the solution for violence against women. "I said it when the Nirbhaya catastrophe happened. Now when I have a predator in my home I still say killing or even emasculating the perpetrator is not the solution."

According to Kamal Haasan the problem must be handled from the other end. "We need to make our women stronger, more confident of their space. There has to be gender sensitization in every household. Why are male children taught to be aggressive fighters while girls must be docile, frail, fragile and obedient? The middle class mindset must change."

Kamal Haasan implores cinema not to make rape sexy. "That's what Susan Sarandon said when we discussed violence against women and the role of cinema at the film festival in Goa last week."

Also, the laws according to Haasan, don't need amendment as much as rational application. "There is a move to make 15 the age of consent for girls.15!!! My mother got married at the age of 12. That was eight decades ago. So we've only made three years' progress in 80 years."

Kamal Haasan quotes Gandhiji on women's safety. "Gandhiji, who is one of my heroes and who hated cinema, said we should work towards a society where women can walk bejeweled on the streets in the night. The jewels are gone. We have much more important issues to address before women can again walk safely on the streets."