Shah Rukh Khan calls for positivity amid outrage over ‘Pathaan’ song
"I have no qualms in saying that no matter what the world does, me and you, and all positive people in the world are alive," says the Bollywood star
Amid increasing protests against the song Besharam rang in the 2023 film Pathaan, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Thursday (December 15) said positivity is important.
“We haven’t been able to meet for a while but the world is becoming normal now. We are all happy and I am the happiest,” he said at the opening of the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF). “And I have no qualms in saying that no matter what the world does, me and you, and all positive people in the world are alive.”
Also read: Saffron bikini controversy over ‘Pathaan’ movie song ‘Besharam Rang’
Khan further said: “Social media is often driven by a certain narrowness of view that limits human nature to its baser self…I read somewhere-negativity increases social media consumption…Such pursuits enclose collective narrative making it divisive and destructive.”
Social media is often driven by a certain narrowness of view that limits human nature to its baser self…I read somewhere-negativity increases social media consumption…Such pursuits enclose collective narrative making it divisive & destructive: Shah Rukh Khan at Kolkata pic.twitter.com/V9Q2K9EMck
— ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2022
“No matter what, people like us will stay positive… cinema is the best place to sustain a counter-narrative that speaks to the larger nature of humankind,” Khan, the guest of honour at KIFF, said.
He also described cinema as a vehicle “for people of different colours, castes and religions to better understand each other”.
The song in question, featuring Khan and Deepika Padukone, was released on social media on December 12. It got 2 million views in just two hours, and also waded into a controversy. Netizens slammed the song for being “vulgar and obscene”, and “against Hindus”, since because Deepika is wearing a saffron bikini and sarong while singing a song called Besharam Rang (unashamed colour). Also, Khan is wearing a green shirt, which led to accusations of “love jihad”.
Call for ban
On Wednesday, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra threatened to ban the film in his state if the makers did not rectify certain scenes, calling Deepika’s saffron costume in the song “highly objectionable.” The BJP leader said that it was clear the scenes were shot with a “dirty mindset.” Mishra also alleged that Deepika has been a supporter of the “Tukde Tukde gang” in the JNU case, referring to her visit to JNU in 2016 after the protests there. Her visit became quite controversial.
Hours later, activists of Veer Shivaji Group set afire effigies of SRK and Deepika in Indore.