New Delhi: Nicole Kidman doesn't support the idea of Bollywood treading the same path of Hollywood in an endeavour to come out with a similar content. The Oscar-winning actress said that staying true to the cultural roots is important to create a distinct identity, as she questioned why do you have to ape the West.
"I don't know why as a country you would want to emulate Hollywood. It is very important culturally for countries to maintain their identity through their art. You can go and see a Hollywood movie but the most important thing is to make movies that are your own, that represent you and the power of your culture," Kidman said on Saturday.
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The Hollywood actress, who confessed to being an ardent Bollywood fan, shared her views at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2015 here.
The “Batman Forever” star, who bagged an Oscar for her portrayal of Virginia Woolf in “The Hours”, also mentioned that in fact the West has sometimes copied Bollywood.
Kidman, who was appointed the goodwill ambassador of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) in 2006, also shared her eagerness to be a part of a Bollywood musical someday.
Kidman, who is also a philanthropist, feels that a wave of change with the "desire for equality between sexes" is seeping into the world, but there are still miles to go.
She feels the world is still dominated by men.
"It is a male dominated world. That's just a fact. When people say there is no need for feminism anymore because there is equality we know that's not a true statement. The world is changing in the sense of the need and desire for equality between sexes. But there is still an enormous way to go," Kidman said here.
The actress went into detail to explain the dynamics of both the genders when she was questioned about it at Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2015 here on Saturday.
The mother of four asserted that the world will be a different place to live in if equality of the sexes is achieved.
"I don't think it is a controversial statement at all. This is why there is a need for female equality. I am not saying that the female is not valued, but it is still male dominated.
“Equality of the sexes, if that can be achieved, it can be a very different world," she said, adding that "Female dynamic is such an important dynamic in the world to exist".
Kidman, credited for films like "Eyes Wide Shut", "Moulin Rouge!" and "The Hours", feels women are the base of a stronger society.
"We are the contributors to the family in a way the male is not and without the family unit surviving and becoming stronger, the world does not work. Primarily, we have to take care of family, men, women and the both sexes of children," she said.
When she was questioned about the skewed sex ratio in India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao' campaign, the actress mentioned that education is the first step towards women empowerment.
The 48-year-old said: "I think education, as a whole, in terms of understanding why we need woman to have equal opportunities. That is what we are always trying to educate people on … So primarily we have to take care of the families, the men, the women and both the sexes. If the family thrives, the world thrives."
However, Kidman is concerned about how the future of the world is shaping up due to two things -- growing violence and vanishing human contact.
She said: "The way we are violent towards each other. The all-pervasive nature of technology, a powerful thing no doubt, also worries me. The fact that, in some way, technology is drawing us away from human connect worries me.
“So many things heal through conversation and human contact. The power of the physical is a healing tool. The fact that connect is going away, frightens me."
