My problem with Shah Rukh Khan, and why I will not watch any films of his…

Ok, I can understand 99% of people given to not reading beyond the headlines will probably call this stand of mine as lunacy, but for those with enough sense to read on, allow me to expand on my reasons for this democratic protest, that in reality doesn’t harm SRK at all (he has like a billion admirers) but does save me from his mindless drivel.

First of all, I do not deny that in recent times SRK has been the only professional (notice, I do not call him an actor) to break into the incestuous film community. For that I respect him. He has achieved a lot in terms of money and fame, that is the truth and not subject to my acceptance of it. However, many people (perhaps including SRK) believe that this somehow makes him a ‘good’ person or someone who has knowledge about everything.  That cannot be farther from the truth, if being rich and famous were the criteria for being ‘good’, the names of several dictators come to mind that fulfil that criteria but were clearly bereft of all moral boundaries.

Anyway, just as an example of how this man will say literally anything to be considered intelligent can be found in the link below:

http://www.mouthshut.com/review/Shahrukh-Khan-review-lqnrolmqr

He claimed to have been selected into the IIT, but chose not to enter. However, I believe this lie was found out and he has never since mentioned his scientific achievements (or the lack of them).  I do not have any corroborative evidence since this is quite an old incident but will gladly remove this part if someone were to convince me.

My contention is that SRK has since in success veered more towards his religious affiliations instead of putting his country first. That, to me, is unacceptable.  From projecting a very secular imagine as recently as about 10 years back, he has increasingly indulged in Islamic references and clearly distinguishing himself from the culture of his hindu wife.

His strict adherence to his religion in itself does not bother me. He was born into a muslim family and (as is the case with most of us in all religions) decided to follow the religion of his parents. I wish him luck on his path. However, the recent foray into films like “My name is Khan” by him and his ‘close’ friend Karan Johar triggered the first doubt in my mind. My proverbial ‘bell’ rang a second time when he claimed to have been detained for several hours at some U.S. airport (the U.S. authorities said it was a little over half hour if I remember correctly).  He believed it was racial profiling, and it clearly was. But that isn’t wrong in itself since it is exactly this type of profiling that has allowed the U.S. to remain attack free since the 9/11 tragedy. I mean, if 99% (to borrow a useless statistic from Raul baba) of terrorists were from the Iyer community (for example), I would damn well want every Iyer getting on my plane to be racially profiled and searched. It is not ‘right’, but it is what works in combating the wanton terror that has been unleased upon us. I would expect SRK to feel embarassed about such profiling, rather than angry. I understand that this stand of mine is belligerent, but is it wrong, especially when you compare the security record of the U.S. versus India? My doubting antenna was next raised with SRK’s ‘close’ friend Karan made ‘New York’, an obviously loaded film about the Guantanamo Bay prison and how becoming a terrorist is justified under some circumstances. Another disturbing thing was SRK’s appearance in a toothpaste ad, where he describes germs as ‘Ravan’s army’, but mysteriously calls the toothpaste as ‘veer sena’…eh? Who was Veer (apart from a flop Salman film)? Why could he not say ‘Ram’s army’, is he so disgusted by the name of Ram that he will not utter it? It perhaps has a good reason, but the opposite (if I may) of Ravan is not some obscure ‘veer’, it is Ram and as a majority of the people in India believe, an incarnation of God.  It’s like this, in opposites, day vs. night, light vs. dark, man vs. woman, snake vs. mongoose, water vs. fire, black vs. white. If I suddenly said, no…black’s opposite is green, its not technically incorrect since black is a colour and anything non-black can be construed to be its opposite, but wouldn’t the questioner immediately wonder that I clearly had a problem with allowing the word ‘white’ to grace my lips?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzaV5VhXAjg

Anyway, none of these moves were technically ‘wrong’, but they did leave a bad taste in my mouth. Though I did save myself the pain of watching SRK in ‘MNIK’.

I now come to an interview given by SRK to NDTV, a channel whose loyalties at times appear misplaced to me atleast. I shall give the link and (self created) transcript first and then highlight the monumental objections I have with SRK’s views which are squarely an insult to every soldier fighting and martyred for India.

Transcript: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWWBd6MD0Ew

“Can I just say, I don’t know, am I wrong? Today there is some big controversy about some Pakistani gentleman’s picture in a government ad…Air Chief Marshal or someone…How is it?

I find it so strange that seven days ago all of us, what I am getting at I’ll explain to you, all of us reacted so vehemently that none of the Pakistani players were chosen, today we react vehemently when we had a Pakistani picture in one of the government ads.

You know…so do we love them? I think we immensely love them and why do we suddenly jump up and say this is not good, I think we have been misled by a lot of things that people say about us and them. And I truly believe they should have been chosen, as a matter of fact, I am not going to be the one who is opposite from what everyone else is saying, but, I wanted Abdul Razzak, I think it was in the newspapers even before the auctions started.

Pronnoy Roy: Lot of people believe in what you are saying right now…lot of people…

SRK continues: …and then he broke his wrist, the second part which I think has been explained is, for example, will I get into trouble for saying this, there is going to be a section of people who have suddenly gotten up and said, rightly or wrongly, it can be a different discussion but, “Australians will not be allowed to play”.

So here is a set of people who are spending 70,80,90 crore rupees on trying to win a tournament, and suddenly even if you say this much to me, I will be like “uh-oh, so should I take him, shouldn’t I take him?”

So tomorrow if we had known this, maybe even the Australians would not have been picked up. You know, so these issues always come on your heads. Stakes are very high, I am not giving an excuse, I truly believe, Pakistani players are the best T20 players in the world, they are champions, they are wonderful. But somewhere down the line there is an issue and we cannot deny it, there is an issue, we cannot keep on saying that “Oh, this was wrong”. Yes the way it was done maybe wrong, but you cannot keep carrying on saying “Ki koi issue nahin hain yaar, there are issues”, lets not deny it, everyday we blame Pakistan, everyday Pakistan blames us, and it is an issue.

And I have also the opposite of this. When my team had five Pakistani players in the first year. I still have Wasim Bhai as coach. People said “Aapke paas bahut sare Pakistani players hain”…come one man, sports should be left alone.

Before we react to any of these incidents, just hold back and say “yes there is an issue”. Both sides have a point so lets keep it easy, but let me be honest, I…my family is from Pakistan, my father was born there and his family is from there…I think all these issues…you are young guys, please,  trust me, can we just circumvent all that is said about India, Pakistan…by the politicians, by anybody else and say “It’s a great neighbour to have”, we are good neighbours, they are good neighbours, lets just love each other…”

*Thunderous applause from NDTV audience, I didn’t expect any better frankly*

My questions…

1)      How does SRK derive that all Indians love all Pakistani’s from a Paki picture mistakenly printed in and Indian govt ad? I would rather SRK spoke for himself, he loves Pakistani’s I don’t, and I am and Indian. Even if in SRK’s schizophrenic world all Indians did love all Pakistanis, a wrongful printing of a picture is certainly not the way to come to this conclusion? Or perhaps it is his superior IIT quality brain speaking?

2)      Pronnoy Roy should probably stuff it, has he taken a poll about what SRK is saying? How does he know a lot of people agree with him?! Clearly the communist intelligence agency is helping PR out here, right?

3)      My biggest opposition to this tirade by the IIT wannabe is his absolute refusal to saying anything bad (that is factual) about Pakistan without tagging the same thing to India first. Examples:

a.       everyday we blame Pakistan, everyday Pakistan blames us. Yes, we blame Pakistan and send evidence of it. I don’t think pakistan’s rantings about Balochistan should even be compared to that. The Pune bombings, the Mumbai bombings, the Gujarat train burning, the 3 wars that were heaped upon us, the support to Dawood…the list is endless is a fact. How dare this genius boy equate these real incidents to some things that India seems to have done in his own (perverted?) mind?

b.      sports should be left alone. I completely disagree with his. If your neighbour had just killed about half your family and then asked you to come out for a game of cricket with him, would you go? Probably not if you aren’t a sociopath, so why give Pakistan the leeway? The only reason anyone can say this is because SRK clearly does not consider Kashmiri Pundits that have been massacred to be his ‘people’, neither does he consider any of the other innocent men women and children who have died in Pak sponsored violence to be ‘his’.

c.       Both sides have a point. This is the most anti national statement he has made, to the best of my knowledge. He is acknowledging that in his twisted opinion Pakistan does have a point in what they are saying and doing. Is there a point to Pak sponsoring terror in India Mr. Khan? Clearly you think they do! Does Pakistan have a point in saying that Kashmir should be given to them, Mr. Khan? Clearly you think they do…you are saying it! I wonder if he got a moonlighted and got a PhD in international relations while he was pursuing his IIT? Such statements put even Rauls pearls of wisdom to shame! And that’s saying something…

d.      It’s a great neighbour to have. Right, this is just a blatant lie. Is Pakistan a great neighbour to have? We have had three wars, they massacred hundreds of thousands of hindus, they alone sponsor terror attacks in India. Is it a great neighbour? If I start bombing his beloved ‘Mannat’ everyday killing and maiming members of his family, will he call me a great neighbour to have? I can understand someone saying that it will be good to have good relations with Pakistan, but that’s future tense, to call them a great neighbour today (or a couple of years back), is nothing but a slap in the face of all the brave soldiers who die for a pittance to defend our country from the bombs and bullets SRK’s “great neighbour” fires across the border.

I personally believe that no right minded Indian should watch any SRK film, but I will not make that request. Simply because, people need to have enough pride in their ‘Indian-ness’ to do this on their own. I abhor all censorship, so I am not angry that SRK said all this, in fact its good, I learned where his real loyalties appear to lie. But its equally democratic to protest by not watching any of SRK’s films and refusing to fill the already overflowing coffers of a man, who probably places Pakistan above the country that gave him love and respect for the kind of films he unleashes upon us. 

“lets just love each other” seriously? Did he take a leaf out of Karan Johar’s “all about loving your parents” B.S.?