Charithra Chandran at Together For Palestine: What's backlash when there are people dying?

NME

Alex Rider, Star Wars and Bridgerton actress Charithra Chandran spoke to NME backstage at Brian Eno's Together For Palestine concert at Wembley Arena about the need for artists and creatives to use their platform to speak out, regardless of backlash

Transcript

00:00Good evening, Trutha. How are you?

00:01I'm good, thank you. How are you?

00:02I'm not bad. I mean, what a night.

00:04It's incredible what's been put on.

00:08Yeah, I'm really, really proud of everyone.

00:10I mean, big question, big obvious question,

00:12but what made you feel like you had to be part of it tonight?

00:16There's no choice.

00:17I have a platform and there are people that are dying

00:20and I have to use my platform to speak out,

00:23advocate to people who need it.

00:26What would you say to artists that have a platform

00:28but aren't necessarily using it right now?

00:30That you can always join us.

00:32There's lots of time, it's never too late

00:34and I understand fear or reservations,

00:38but, like, you're speaking out when you save lives.

00:42Well, you've been vocal for some time.

00:43Have you experienced much backlash in your time?

00:46Not nearly as much.

00:48I haven't faced nearly as much backlash as other artists.

00:52But, you know, you...

00:55Who didn't end up being part of the community

00:58of like-minded people

00:59and what's backlash when there are people dying?

01:04I cannot have that.

01:05Exactly.

01:06Well, there was a time when a gig of this scale

01:09for this cause might not have been possible.

01:11I mean, what do you think it tells us that it's happening now?

01:13That it's reached...

01:16That, like, kind of tragic

01:19that it's reached a critical mass

01:21where it can't be denied what is happening

01:24and that it is, in fact, a genocide

01:26and attempts at ethnic cleansing.

01:30So, yeah, not good things,

01:32but hopefully we can do good from this.

01:35Well, that's the pick.

01:36How significant is it that it's a gig like this?

01:38What do you think can be achieved

01:39through art and music and expression

01:40on Night Like Tonight?

01:42I think that art is able to ensure this people

01:44that can inform, it can soothe,

01:46and it can provide hope,

01:47and those are all our needs and things.

01:49And so those at home feeling a bit...

01:51who might be feeling hopeless

01:52at everything they're seeing,

01:53what would you say to them?

01:54Hope will save us,

01:55and we need to continue to be hopeful,

01:58no matter what.

01:59Do you foresee change?

02:02There has to be changed.

02:04There will be.

02:04But we just have to keep fighting.

02:06Amazing.

02:07Thank you so much.

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