When Bollywood actor Aamir Khan irked politicians

An ad featuring Aamir Khan and Kiara Advani playing a married couple has irked some on social media including the Madhya Pradesh home minister.

The advertisement, which shows Aamir and Advani as newly-weds travelling back from their wedding and discussing that both of them did not cry during ‘bidaai’. The ad further shows the couple reaching the bride’s house and the groom taking the first step into the house, as against the traditional practice for brides.

Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra on Wednesday said the Bollywood superstar should stay away from advertisements and acts which hurt religious sentiments.

Talking to reporters, Mishra, who is also the state government’s spokesperson, said, “I have seen actor Aamir Khan’s advertisement for a private bank after receiving a complaint. I request him to do such advertisements by keeping the Indian traditions and customs in mind.”

“I do not consider it appropriate. Such things about Indian tradition, customs and deities keep coming, especially about Aamir Khan. The sentiments of a particular religion are hurt by such acts. I believe he is not allowed to hurt anyone’s sentiments,” said Mishra.

Let’s take a look at all the times Aamir irked politicians:

‘Sense of insecurity’

Speaking at the Ramnath Goenka Awards in 2015, Aamir said, “When I chat with Kiran at home, she says ‘should we move out of India?’ That’s a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make. She fears for her child. She fears about what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers every day.”

He added: “People who are our elected representatives, people who we select to look after us for five years, State or centre… when people take law into their hands, we look upon these people to take a strong stance, to make a strong statement, speed up the legal process, when we see that happening there is a sense of security but when we don’t see that happening there is a sense of insecurity.”

“That does indicate that there is this sense of growing disquiet, there is growing despondency apart from alarm. You feel why this is happening, you feel low. That sense does exist in me,” he had said.

Aamir’s comments came after the mob lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq in September 2015.

Aamir later clarified that he stood by what he had stated and that neither he nor his then wife Kiran Rao have any intention to leave the country.

Aamir stated that he is “proud to be an Indian.”

In his one-page statement, Aamir said, “First let me state categorically that neither I, nor my wife Kiran, have any intention of leaving the country. We never did, and nor would we like to in the future.

“Anyone implying the opposite has either not seen my interview or is deliberately trying to distort what I have said. India is my country, I love it, I feel fortunate for being born here, and this is where I am staying,” he said.

“I stand by everything that I have said in my interview.

To all those people who are calling me anti-national, I would like to say that I am proud to be Indian, and I do not need anyone’s permission nor endorsement for that,” he said.

“As per Daily O, the BJP’s Manoj Tiwari called Aamir a “traitor” who should be ‘thrown out.’

The BJP’s Ram Madhav at a Delhi University function added, “You go and tell auto drivers about the culture and honour of the country and not your wife? It will not work if you preach to an auto driver on how the country’s prestige has to be saved but not tell the same to your own wife”.

Kailash Vijayvargiya, referring to both Shah Rukh and Aamir, said at a rally, “We have already taught one a lesson, now it’s the turn of the other. It’s time for Dangal me Mangal.”

Then Union minister Prakash Javadekar in 2016 said the “extreme reaction” given by the actor has not only “dented” the image of the country but also his own.

Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said tolerance is in India’s DNA and the actor need not leave the country, advising him to not come under the influence of “fabricated political propaganda.”

“Tolerance is in India’s DNA. There is no space for intolerance in the country. People don’t need to get influenced by fabricated political propaganda,” he tweeted.

Then Union minister Venkaiah Naidu said, “Some are propagating wrong things some are coming under wrong propaganda. There is more tolerance in India. People of India are tolerant.

The actor was criticised by several Union ministers at the time following which his contract as brand ambassador for Incredible India expired.

It is unfortunate that for the sake of his name, he is defaming the entire country. I feel it is a moral offence,” then BJP spokesperson MJ Akbar said.

He said there is absolutely no problem with an icon or non-icon in a democracy criticising anything, but yes, when an icon blames the whole nation, I think there is an appropriate reason for a reaction.

“I do not believe that you have a right to drag down the nation because of any personal antagonism towards a political party. The nation must always be above politics,” he said.

Akbar said, if one asks the 125 crore Indians on whether they want to live in this country or not, you will get only one answer that this is our country. This is the strength of patriotism.

In 2016, then defence minister Manohar Parrikar, referring to Aamir, gave examples of “an actor” and a certain “online trading company”, who, he said, were taught lessons for the former’s remarks against India, according to Indian Express.

“When the actor did this… then the company which he was endorsing was… an online trading company. Some of our people are very smart, I know. There was a team which was working on this. They were telling people you order and return it… The company should learn a lesson, they had to pull his advertisement>,” Parrikar said

In 2016, then external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, speaking of surrogacy, said “big celebrities” had opted for surrogacy and it has become a trend.

She said under the then bill, the procedure has been allowed for necessity and not “shauk” (fondness or fashion). “We have several examples of big celebrities who have their own children, two children – a boy and a girl – still they have gone for a surrogate child,” she said.

Shah Rukh Khan, Amir Khan and Tusshar Kapoor are some of the celebrities to have surrogate children. Kapoor is a single parent.

“Permission (under the bill) is for necessity, not shauk…there is no permission for cases in which the wife does not want to go through labour…you make a poor woman go through labour pain instead,” she said.

‘Will not apologise’

In 2006, Aamir had spoken out in favour of the  Narmada Bachao Andolan, which is fighting for the rights of people displaced by the Sardar Sarovar Dam project.

That led to an ‘unofficial ban’ on Aamir movie Fanaa in Gujarat and the BJP state government demanding an apology.

“We have made it clear from the very first day that Aamir Khan must apologise to Gujaratis for his anti-Narmada comments. If he does so, we will allow the screening of his films”, Amit Thaker, then president of the youth wing of the BJP, Ahmedabad, had said.

Though Fanaa released across India, Gujarat hall owners did not screen it over fears of violence and protests by the BJP.

“I am saying exactly what the Supreme Court has said. I only asked for rehabilitation of poor farmers. I never spoke against the construction of the dam. I will not apologise for my comments on the issue,” the actor had said in a press conference.

‘Please watch my films’

Aamir’s response seems to be to get as far away from politics as possible.

Responding to hashtags calling for the boycott of his  film ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’, Aamir had urged public to please watch his films.

“That Boycott Bollywood… Boycott Aamir Khan… Boycott Laal Singh Chaddha… I feel sad also because a lot of people who are saying this in their hearts believe I am someone who doesn’t like India… In their hearts they believe that… And that’s quite untrue,” the 57-year-old star said while replying to a question by PTI in a group interview in August.

Many posts calling for a boycott of ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ recalled an earlier controversy in 2015 when Aamir had said he was alarmed by a number of incidents of growing “intolerance” in India and that his then wife Kiran Rao had suggested they should probably leave the country.

Responding to calls that his new, much-awaited film be shunned, Aamir said he loves India and requested fans to not think otherwise.

“I really love the country… That’s how I am. It is rather unfortunate if some people feel that way. I want to assure everyone that it’s not the case so please don’t boycott my films, please watch my films,” he said.

‘Don’t want to be a politician’

Aamir in 2018, during a session at NDTV’S special youth conclave ‘YUVA’, had said he has no plans to join politics.

“I don’t want to be a politician. I am not meant for that. I am a communicator. I am not interested in politics… I am also scared of politics. Who isn’t?

“So, I stay away. I am a creative person. Politics is not my thing. I want to entertain people. I feel I will be able to do more as a creative person than as a politician,” he added.