PUNE: Veteran actor Anupam Kher today said if people can wait at the restaurants, stand in the queues in front of the movie halls or party venues, why cannot they stand for 52 seconds for the national anthem in the cinema halls.
Kher was here to receive late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan Memorial Award.
Along with Kher, Shayara Bano, the original petitioner in the triple talaq case, was too conferred with the award, constituted in the name of the late BJP leader.
Kher, during his speech, lambasted those who are opposing the idea of making the national anthem mandatory inside the cinema halls.
"Some people are of the opinion that standing up for the national anthem should not be made mandatory, but for me, standing up for the national anthem shows the upbringing of that person.
"We stand up in respect in front of our father or teacher, similarly getting up for the national anthem shows respect towards our nation," Kher said.
"If people can wait at the restaurants, stand in the queues in front of the cinema halls or at the party venues, why cannot they stand for 52 seconds for the national anthem in the cinema halls," he said.
Kher, while raking up the issue of 'award-waapsi', said that when he was 15-years-old, his father taught him how to deal with failure when he failed in the examination.
"At the age of 15 I learnt how to deal with failure so these 'award wapasi' people can not scare me," he said.
The awards are given by city-based organisation Muktachhand, run by BJP MLA Medha Kulkarni and Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar handed over the awards.
BJP MP and daughter of Late Pramod Mahajan Poonam Mahajan was also present at the event.