If you had a chance to play god what would you change?
I would definitely ban religion and ensure that everyone wears a big smile. I would see to it that Chennai autos have proper meters and political rallies are allowed only between 11 pm and 5 am. If I were god I would take steps to award capital punishment to men who commit rape after sustained torture without trial. I would have all homemakers given salaries, perks, privilege leave (PL), casual leave (CL) and promotions.
Spiritual belief
Spirituality is the way one lives life and touches fellow human beings. How many people ended up smiling because of me? How many selfless things have I done today? These things matter to me the most. When I saw an old lady begging on the road did I just drop money in her hand without even looking at her, or did I feel something special for her and pass on a bit of my energy and life to her before dropping the money? I consider spirituality separate from god and religion. I perceive god as a supreme power that radiates positive energy, encompassing goodness.
Spritual practices
To name a few — fully immersing myself in the rehearsal process of a theatre play, avoiding that extra half hour of sleep so that I can work on my role or giving up an evening with a girlfriend because of rehearsals. I pray to the stage before every show.
Pilgrimage spots
Vaishno Devi temple is close to my heart because I went there with two of my close pals, and that’s probably how it was meant to be. Also, I like visiting Sabarimala.
(T M Karthik Srinivasan is an actor and theatre artiste)