“All I want is for people to believe that my efforts are genuine” – Rahul Bose

October 7, 2009 - 12:38 PM IST

Very recently, Rahul Bose was honored as a youth icon in 'Videocon India Youth Icon Awards (VIYIA)'. He got the award in the category of Social Justice and Welfare as the founder of his NGO - The Foundation. While over the years, Rahul has been recognized for his social work in various fields, this award holds a special place in his heart since it reaffirms his belief that he is going in the right direction.

“All I want is for people to believe that my efforts are genuine” – Rahul Bose

"See, I am not the only person in the country who is doing socially relevant work. There are quite a few out there who are doing their bit and I am glad about that. It's just that when you pick up an initiative, people should know that this is for the keeps. That one is serious about the assignment. This is when such an award comes in handy because it is not frivolous and has a quotient of being genuine to it. Now all I want is people to believe that my efforts are genuine", says Rahul.

He believes that it's a huge responsibility when an initiative carries his name. "'The Foundation' is taken seriously because there is a certain credibility attached to my name. People out there know that I bring in a certain value. Initiatives taken by my foundation could be big or small but they should be genuine. I guess the time of talking is over while walking is the 'in' thing. Ultimately, the Indian public is not fool. They can spot the difference between what is said for effect and what is done in reality. Whether it is politicians or actors or social activists, they know for sure whom to trust or not", he describes.

Others attached to the world of films who received the award in various categories of India Youth Icon awards were Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Deepika Padukone, Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra. In addition, Rahul Gandhi, Omar Abdullah, Barkha Dutt and Chetan Bhagat were also honoured.

"This is a brand new award with jury and online voting carrying 50% weightage each", informs Rahul, "The jury comprised of people like Shabana Azmi, Kiran Bedi, Shyam Benegal and Leander Paes who come from different walks of life. They themselves have a great track record of excellence and human value system. The entire voting process was handled by the organization 'Ernst and Young' that further adds credibility."

With the award in hands, Rahul Bose feels that his work in the tinsel world too has contributed to him being conferred with the award.

"Yes, to a large extent it's the kind of cinema that I do which went in my favor", reflects Rahul, "I have done a film like Mr. and Mrs. Iyer which spoke about Hindu and Muslim secularism. Then in Chameli, the theme revolved around the uplifting of the downtrodden. Shaurya again had a patriotic flavour to it. These themes have played a major part in creating a belief around me that this guy has at least the right system in place. I just hope and pray to build on from here."