People know me as Prakash Rai in Karnataka. Let it be so. But I'm known as Prakash Raj to the rest of India and abroad. Every actor worth his salt gets a name after coming to films.

I do not subscribe to the idea of actors Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Pawan Kalyan, and Upendra launching political outfits just because they are actors, though I am a fan of all these stars.

In the Constitution, there is no idea of a political party. It is representatives of every constituency because it is so vibrant and varied.

Everybody has their manifesto; let them talk their language, come to the people, and the people will decide. In a democracy, no party or candidate wins or loses. If you, the people, chose a wrong man, you lose; if you chose the right one, you win.

It is wrong for the federal government to deny benefits or privileges to couples who have lawfully wed.

I try to swim against the current as much as possible when it comes to the tribalism that defines the way people do politics on social media, and I try to present myself as an individual and humanistic voice. I'm interested in people, not just factions.

Liberal democracy must finally become the vital element of our society.

My father was not in power when I started my political career, or when I fought my first election in 1996. Starting like any ordinary person, I reached out to people everywhere.