Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani on Thursday slammed the media for spreading a communal environment in the country. After Bollywood actors such as Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan were targeted for their views on intolerance and free speech, Hirani added that celebrities have become cautious about what they say in public.

The 53-year-old said he was worried about the spreading "hatred", which is creating more divisions in society. He said, “I hold media responsible for it. Its repercussions will be seen after 10 years... We will end up creating a society where people are hating communities. It has already started.” He added that while every opinion can and should have a counterview, there is a growing tendency of giving knee-jerk reactions that get magnified on social media.

Hirani’s last film PK had faced protests in the country for its depiction of godmen. The director alleged that some people would inform television news channels about their plans to protest and then back out if reporters did not turn up. He said, “I think as a policy, journalists should not report something if it is being done for personal attention. When things get reported slightly wrong, then the venom spreads.”