Sri Arvind Mahila College students with Shatrughan Sinha at Kilkari Bihar Bal Bhavan on Monday. Picture by Jai Prakash

Shatrughan Sinha might want to silence everybody on screen with his signature one-word “Khamosh” rap, but the actor-turned-politician on Monday spoke at length on cancer and the ill effects of tobacco while interacting with a group of students.

“You would be surprised to know that India is among the countries where cancer is one of the biggest killers. It is estimated that more people would die of cancer than of other diseases by 2020. I used to tell my close friends that those who consume tobacco never become old. What I meant by this was that those who consume tobacco die early,” the BJP MP told the students of Sri Arvind Mahila College and children associated with Kilkari Bihar Bal Bhavan.

The occasion was a cancer awareness programme organised by Mahavir Cancer Sansthan and the venue was Kilkari Bihar Bal Bhavan. Though Sinha reached the venue two hours behind schedule, not many in the audience complained.

The event began with a cultural programme, during which students of the music department, Sri Arvind Mahila College, presented a song.

Dr. Jitendra Kumar Singh , the director of Mahavir Cancer Sansthan, and Dr Manisha Singh, a doctor associated with the organisation, spoke about the harmful effects of tobacco consmption.