Veronica Vanij Wants SRK As Guest On Her Podcast, Reacts To Baba Aniruddhacharya's Claim On B'wood- EXCLUSIVE

Veronica Vanij interview: She is bold, bindaas and not afraid to speak her mind. From starting her podcast to actively speaking on issues that concern society, Veronica Vanij has grabbed eyeballs from all corners. She is currently basking in the success of her podcast, where she has interviewed prominent personalities.

At Filmibeat, we love interacting with new talents who have a vision and the desire to bring a transformation. Veronica is one of them. In an exclusive conversation with us, she spoke about her 'dream guest' on her podcast, upcoming projects, Operation Sindoor and a lot more.

Mind you, she openly spoke about Baba Aniruddhacharya's claim about Bollywood being responsible for girls wearing short clothes.

Here are excerpts from the interview-

Veronica, your podcast has become quite popular. What inspired you to start it, and how do you choose the topics and guests that feature on your show?

Thank you so much for the acknowledgement and appreciation. This means a lot. Having said that, the idea came from just my pure love of good quality conversations. As an artiste, I have been on the other side many times where I am being interviewed. But it's also fun to explore this side where you get to interview different people of different fields, decode their life stories and experiences and learn so much more from it. The topics are of course taken in a way which caters to the guest and the profession they are in but there are also some common topics which are relevant for everyone irrespective of the field of work. Also, not everything is planned. Sometimes, the conversation is so smooth and free-flowing that you end up discussing a lot more than planned. It is always so much fun. I am loving my journey as a podcaster.

Are there any specific celebrities or public figures you'd love to have on your podcast in the future? What kind of conversations would you like to explore with them?

Well, there are so many people from different fields with whom I would love to engage in conversations. However, if I have to specifically talk about the film industry, I would love to have Shah Rukh Khan. I would really love every artiste on my show but yes, a podcast with Shah Rukh Khan would be a dream come true moment. To get to work with him in any way is special. As far as type of conversations are concerned, like I said, a lot of it also depends on who the guest is and their background. So yes, it's a blend of everything put together.

In one of your recent podcast episodes, Baba Aniruddhacharya made a statement suggesting that Bollywood is responsible for girls wearing shorter clothes. What is your view on this, and do you think the entertainment industry has an influence on fashion trends and societal norms?

Yes certainly. The film industry is widely followed, celebrities and their lifestyles are widely followed so whether people acknowledge the same or not, it doesn't matter. Public figures categorically have a huge influence on the youth of this country. I can't exactly comment on how true or not true that statement is. That's the viewpoint of my guest who said this. But definitely there's no two way about the fact that public figures influence people, be it in a positive way or a negative way.

Looking towards the future, what are some of the exciting projects you are currently working on? Is there anything new in the works that your fans can look forward to?

Well, besides the podcast, there's a lot happening that's currently in the development stage. I feel it's too early to say anything now. It's in the premature stage but very soon, some very interesting announcements will happen one after the other. Let's stay tuned. Thanks for all the love and appreciation.

On a different note, what are your thoughts on Operation Sindoor, the ongoing initiative by the Indian government? How do you think such national efforts impact the country, and would you want to talk about it more on your podcast?

Of course, a big yes. It doesn't matter what one's background or profile is. At the end of the day, the country comes first ahead of anything and everything. We have a great strong and visionary prime minister and whatever appreciation I do about our brave Indian army, naval force and air force, it's only less. I have massive respect for them and quite organically itself, I am sure conversations would arise about this.

Many leading Bollywood celebrities have not spoken openly against the terror attacks and Pakistan drone and missiles attacks on Indian cities following Operation Sindoor. Do you think that they should have taken a stand for the country, considering Bollywood is India's soft power and they can perpetuate the truth we are not the attackers but the victims unlike the myth spread by Pakistan?

Yes absolutely. Some people have spoken and some have not. Yes many have argued about the fact that public figures are not entitled to comment about everything about the society. But at the end of the day, what happened recently wasn't a regular phenomenon. A little acknowledgement and motivation from the people who have received so much love and respect from this very own country wouldn't have harmed anyone I am sure. So yes, many more people should have ideally spoken about it.

What's your take on the government of India blocking Instagram and Twitter handles of Pakistani actors and discontinuing the streaming of their Pakistan-origin content?

Absolutely brilliant move. I don't think this should even be a question or there should be two ways about it. You can't be enjoying Pakistani content sitting in the comfort of your homes when our jawans are fighting in the border against them because of their atrocities. Both cannot co-exist. When their people are killing innocent civilians for no reason, are we supposed to clap, laugh or enjoy their content just because it doesn't affect us directly? It's a great move by the Government and I am completely in favour of it. India as a country comes first, everything else can wait. Jai Hind.