Three days after Shah Rukh Khan spoke about growing intolerance in India and his willingness to return awards, the police intensified the security outside the actor's home on Thursday.
The controversy began when a posse of Bharatiya Janata Party and right-wing leaders chose to react to the view expressed by the Bollywood star on his fiftieth birthday, merely proving the actor's point. First, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya tweeted that Khan was being seditious and that he “lives in India but his soul is in Pakistan”. Then Sadhvi Prachi, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader, called Khan a Pakistani agent. BJP parliamentarian Yogi Adityanath claimed that there was no difference between the language of Khan and Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed, and that people who defame India should go to Pakistan.
Even as the film fraternity and a Shiv Sena leader rushed to Khan’s defence, the Mumbai police decided to beef up the security cover outside Mannat, the star’s sea-facing bungalow in Bandra, Mumbai.
Khan’s fans waiting loyally outside his house, however, seemed completely clueless about the reason for the added security. Many, in fact, were not even aware of the controversy surrounding his statements on patriotism and intolerance. All through Thursday afternoon, a steady stream of SRK fans trooped onto the pavement opposite bungalow’s tall gates, clicked selfies with the Mannat nameplate and waited patiently for a glimpse of the celebrity.
Those who watched the news were vocal in their support of Khan, although they expressed themselves in a variety of ways.
The spontaneous cheerleaders
Some fans had heard very little about the reactions to Khan’s comments, and didn’t need to hear more details before expressing their own views on the matter.
“Look, Shah Rukh is a good actor, and that’s all that matters,” said Abhishek Mishra, an engineer from Pune trying his luck outside Mannat during a brief visit to Mumbai. “What politicians say doesn’t matter – their shelf life is five years, while an actor’s lasts a lifetime.”
Shahid Husain, a law student and ardent fan, pointed out that Muslims are “more secure in India than in Pakistan”.
“The point is, everyone has a right to practice their own religion, and I agree with what Shah Rukh said on his birthday,” said Husain, who was more interested in another newsflash he came across earlier in the week. “I heard that Shah Rukh met Salman Khan on his birthday. There has been so much politics around them, it is good that they are building a better relationship.”
The sympathisers
Ranju Sangma, an Assamese trapeze artist and clown at the Rainbow Circus, keeps his date with the gates of Mannat every time his troupe travels to Mumbai. His sympathy for Khan runs deep.
“There are so many Muslim actors, so why are these people targeting SRK alone?” said Sangma. “I have seen his childhood pictures in magazines – he has lived in India right from the time he was born. How can they ask him to go to Pakistan? He doesn’t even own land in Pakistan, all his property is here. Bechara, how will he go there?”
Other fans are indignant that Khan’s celebrity status hasn’t kept him safe from political jibes. “He’s a big star. Obviously such statements shouldn’t be made about a celebrity!” said Swati Dikshit, a housewife from Kanpur on a holiday in Mumbai.
Shikhar Tyagi, a Class 12 student from Navi Mumbai, is sorry that people like Yogi Adityanath are “trying to give him a bad name”. “But even though there is more intolerance in the country, I don’t think anybody should be returning their awards to the government,” said Tyagi.
The conspiracy theorists
Mohammed Sarfaraz, an embroiderer in Kolkata’s textile industry, believes he knows the real reason behind the right-wing attack on Khan. At the heart of the controversy, he says, is Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, who will star opposite Shah Rukh Khan in his upcoming film Raees.
“There are many good heroines in India who are waiting to get a chance in films, so some people don’t like it when outsiders come from Pakistan and take their roles,” said Sarfaraz, who is on his third visit to Mumbai in the past five years – trips made with the sole purpose of Khan-watching outside Mannat. “That is what Shah Rukh bhai was trying to address when he said that we should have more tolerance.”
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The controversy began when a posse of Bharatiya Janata Party and right-wing leaders chose to react to the view expressed by the Bollywood star on his fiftieth birthday, merely proving the actor's point. First, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya tweeted that Khan was being seditious and that he “lives in India but his soul is in Pakistan”. Then Sadhvi Prachi, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader, called Khan a Pakistani agent. BJP parliamentarian Yogi Adityanath claimed that there was no difference between the language of Khan and Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed, and that people who defame India should go to Pakistan.
Even as the film fraternity and a Shiv Sena leader rushed to Khan’s defence, the Mumbai police decided to beef up the security cover outside Mannat, the star’s sea-facing bungalow in Bandra, Mumbai.
Police and Shah Rukh Khan fans lined up outside the star's bungalow.
Khan’s fans waiting loyally outside his house, however, seemed completely clueless about the reason for the added security. Many, in fact, were not even aware of the controversy surrounding his statements on patriotism and intolerance. All through Thursday afternoon, a steady stream of SRK fans trooped onto the pavement opposite bungalow’s tall gates, clicked selfies with the Mannat nameplate and waited patiently for a glimpse of the celebrity.
Those who watched the news were vocal in their support of Khan, although they expressed themselves in a variety of ways.
The spontaneous cheerleaders
Some fans had heard very little about the reactions to Khan’s comments, and didn’t need to hear more details before expressing their own views on the matter.
“Look, Shah Rukh is a good actor, and that’s all that matters,” said Abhishek Mishra, an engineer from Pune trying his luck outside Mannat during a brief visit to Mumbai. “What politicians say doesn’t matter – their shelf life is five years, while an actor’s lasts a lifetime.”
Shahid Husain, a law student and ardent fan, pointed out that Muslims are “more secure in India than in Pakistan”.
“The point is, everyone has a right to practice their own religion, and I agree with what Shah Rukh said on his birthday,” said Husain, who was more interested in another newsflash he came across earlier in the week. “I heard that Shah Rukh met Salman Khan on his birthday. There has been so much politics around them, it is good that they are building a better relationship.”
Shahid Husain (left) and his brother outside Mannat.
The sympathisers
Ranju Sangma, an Assamese trapeze artist and clown at the Rainbow Circus, keeps his date with the gates of Mannat every time his troupe travels to Mumbai. His sympathy for Khan runs deep.
“There are so many Muslim actors, so why are these people targeting SRK alone?” said Sangma. “I have seen his childhood pictures in magazines – he has lived in India right from the time he was born. How can they ask him to go to Pakistan? He doesn’t even own land in Pakistan, all his property is here. Bechara, how will he go there?”
Other fans are indignant that Khan’s celebrity status hasn’t kept him safe from political jibes. “He’s a big star. Obviously such statements shouldn’t be made about a celebrity!” said Swati Dikshit, a housewife from Kanpur on a holiday in Mumbai.
Shikhar Tyagi, a Class 12 student from Navi Mumbai, is sorry that people like Yogi Adityanath are “trying to give him a bad name”. “But even though there is more intolerance in the country, I don’t think anybody should be returning their awards to the government,” said Tyagi.
The conspiracy theorists
Mohammed Sarfaraz, an embroiderer in Kolkata’s textile industry, believes he knows the real reason behind the right-wing attack on Khan. At the heart of the controversy, he says, is Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, who will star opposite Shah Rukh Khan in his upcoming film Raees.
“There are many good heroines in India who are waiting to get a chance in films, so some people don’t like it when outsiders come from Pakistan and take their roles,” said Sarfaraz, who is on his third visit to Mumbai in the past five years – trips made with the sole purpose of Khan-watching outside Mannat. “That is what Shah Rukh bhai was trying to address when he said that we should have more tolerance.”
