Exclusive: Here's what Irrfan Khan has to say about Sonu Nigam's Azaam row
With Sonu Nigam’s tweet on the azaan playing through the loudspeaker, Bollywood seems to have come out with their own takes on the matter. Not one to mince words, Irrfan asks, “Isn’t sound pollution a really grave issue in our country?”
Elaborating his stand on noise pollution, Irrfan says. “If we’re sensitive about noise pollution, then we need to discuss it when it’s noticed elsewhere too. The loudspeaker issue is indeed a huge one. Are we tolerant of sound pollution that occurs elsewhere apart from masjids and temples? What about the sound of a discotheque, which may be running near a hospital? What I mean to say is, if people have a certain issue, let’s stand together and discuss it, and find a solution, rather than talking about just a particular area. The sound issue, all over, is a grave one. However, it needs to be sorted out amicably,” he asserts.
Irrfan points out that the issue is better tackled overseas. “Honking abroad is prohibited totally. Foreigners are very sensitive to sound pollution. We also need to find the root cause of why and what the real reasons for Sonu to raise his voice pertaining only to sound pollution owing to azaan speakers are,” he says.