Aamir Khan has been acting in films for more than three decades, but he’s just found first-hand what it’s like to go from hero to villain overnight.

Since joining the debate about rising intolerance in the country on Monday night, the actor faced a seemingly endless barrage of criticism from politicians, fellow actors, celebrities and social media.

During an interview at a journalism awards ceremony, Aamir Khan said that he was alarmed at the rise in acts of intolerance in recent months. With Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in attendance, Khan added that a sense of fear and insecurity had been growing in India.

"Kiran [Rao, his wife] and I have lived all our lives in India," he said. "For the first time, she said, should we move out of India? That's a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make to me. She fears for her child. She fears about what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers everyday. That does indicate that there is a sense of growing disquiet."

Khan's comment about his wife contemplating leaving India drew outrage in particular, with even his fans throwing brickbats at him. There was a chorus on social media demanding that Khan leave the country and a police complaint was also filed in New Delhi against the actor.

 

 

 

His remarks also drew reactions from the government, with Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijju saying the comments had “unnecessarily tarnished the image of the nation”.

Rijiju’s colleague Mukthar Abbas Naqvi, the minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs, adopted more a sober approach. “We won't let Aamir leave the country, he is safe," he said. "This kind of comment influenced by a politically motivated campaign insults those who have given so much honour to Aamir in India.”

There were also voices of dissent from Bollywood. Actor Anupam Kher, who led a “March for India” on November 7, tweeted a reminder to Khan that he owed his career to the country.

 

Actors Paresh Rawal, Raveena Tandon and director Ram Gopal Verma also took to social media to disapprove of Khan's statements.

 

 

The brands endorsed by Khan also took a hit, with many social media users announcing a boycott of products such as Tata Sky and Coca Cola. E-commerce site Snapdeal bore the brunt of the anger, with several people tweeting bad reviews and declaring that they would uninstall the company's app.

 

 

 

 

 

Amid the overwhelming sense of anger there were some lighter moments. Here's a selection: