Targeting Laal Singh Chaddha to get even with Aamir Khan is gross

This evening, Salman Rushdie, whom I have had the privilege of interacting with, was assaulted and stabbed on  stage in New York.

During an interview that I conducted in January 2013 with Mr Rushdie, he had spoken about the assault on Nirbhaya and assaults in general: “Like everyone else, I have been horrified by the brutal assault in Delhi, and by the many, many other assaults for which this has become a symbol. I hope it does lead to permanent changes not only in the law but also in certain outmoded societal ideas which create the climate in which such assaults can occur.”

When Mr Rushdie said these words, I imagine he had no clue that one day, the culture of assault will hit him too.

During my interview with him, Mr Rushdie had spoken about Aamir Khan: “I'm not really up to speed in the Hindi cinema, I'm sorry to say. But I'm glad that some years ago, Aamir Khan showed me Taare Zameen Par. I liked it very much. That's where I first saw Darsheel Safary, who went on to play young Saleem in Midnight's Children.”

Midnight’s  Children  was adapted  as a miniseries by Mr Rushdie’s dear friend Deepa Mehta, in whose masterpiece 1947 Earth, Aamir played a closeted Muslim communalist. Given the same opportunity today, Aamir would say an outright no to Deepa’s offer to play a rabid Islamist, although many, including me, consider Aamir’s  performance in 1947 Earth, his career’s best.

It seems the cancel culture has claimed another casualty. Clowns masquerading as critics  have dismissed Laal Singh Chaddha (LSC) as bakwas, Paki-loving bore, etc . They’ve even tried to create more trouble for the film (which ironically talks about making this world a better more peaceful place) by provoking the Sikh community by insinuating that in making the slow-witted, honest pure-hearted generous and compassionate hero, the Sikh community should be out on the streets screaming for Aamir Khan’s blood. This is like Godse’s supporters  attacking Ben Kingsley for  playing Gandhi.

Why are we even paying attention to these troublemakers? Why are protesters up in arms against a film which tells us so much about humanism and compassion? That it’s not okay to hate one another, even as the hate culture hits us hard from all sides.

Shamefully, Aamir Khan, who has constantly spread the message of peace through his films, is being targeting by the hatemongers for some irresponsible statements. Why is LSC being targeted for Aamir’s irresponsible words? For, irresponsible they were. He had no business to talk  like a tourist in India, not once but twice; once, when he said he felt his child was not safe in India and secondly, when recently, he wanted the world to know he “liked” India.

These are careless, irresponsible words. And Aamir should learn to just shut up when not required to speak. But they are not disrespectful to the country. Aamir is not anti-India. He just loves to talk. When I met him for the first time, he narrated the script of a film that he wanted to make with Sridevi, but he never did. I barely got in a word edgewise. When I met him the second time, he spent almost two hours blasting Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black. Again, I hardly spoke.

This is a man who thinks his opinion on men and matters, matters. To some extent, Aamir Khan’s voice carries weight and he should use it carefully. At the same time, it must be remembered that when Aamir  speaks, he speaks  only for himself, not the 100-member team who toiled to create the exquisite work of art that is Laal Singh Chadha.

As intolerance grows in our nation’s lexicon of self expression, I fear for Aamir Khan. Although, he has done nothing close to what Mr Rushdie did in The Satanic Verses, there is a growing  community of  haters out there who don’t need a valid reason to assault you verbally or physically. If they don’t find a reason, they will invent one.

Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.