Shah Rukh Khan Called, Expressed Concerns Over Protests Over 'Pathaan': Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Amid calls of boycott from BJP and Hindutva organisations, Bajrang Dal activists stormed a theatre in Assam's Narengi on Friday where Shah Rukh Khan's film Pathaan is slated to be screened.

Latest Issue

UCC Debate
Can There Be A Progressive Uniform Civil Code?

What we need is a UCC that is acceptable to all sections of society, gender and communities

Omar Rashid
Feminism
The Feminist Approach To UCC: A Long Way To Go

Feminists movements first welcomed the idea of a Uniform Civil Code. But as right-wingers hijacked the proposal, they retracted and called for reforms in personal laws instead

Shahina K. K.
Women and UCC
UCC: A Law To Push Back Gender Justice

The proposed Uniform Civil Code is part of a patriarchal Hindu nationalist agenda to give community land to corporates in the name of women’s rights

Nivedita Menon
Film/Kashmiri Pandits
Kashmir: Documenting A Disappearance

A record of the lives of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley comprising 15 years’ worth of footage

Karan Mujoo
Christians
Uniform Civil Code And Christians: A Cross To Bear

The Christian community feels that a Uniform Civil Code will interfere with its personal laws, especially when it comes to divorce

Haima Deshpande

PTI

More from PTI

View All

Updated: 22 Jan 2023 4:05 pm

In the wake of protests and threats to the film Pathaan, actor Shah Rukh Khan called Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and expressed his concerns.

Hours after Sarma said "Who is Shah Rukh", Sarma received a call from the actor in which he assured him that his government will enquire about the demonstration against Pathaan and ensure that "no such untoward incidents" would occur again.

The development comes a day after the CM had said "who is Shahrukh Khan? I don't know anything about him or his film Pathaan" while responding to queries by reporters about the violent protest by Bajrang Dal activists, who stormed a theatre in Assam's Narengi on Friday, where the film is slated to be screened.

The far right-wing group's volunteers tore down the film's posters and burnt them.

Sarma in a tweet said that Shah Rukh called him around 2 am over the violent incident.

Bollywood actor Shri @iamsrk called me and we talked today morning at 2 am. He expressed concern about an incident in Guwahati during screening of his film. I assured him that it’s duty of state govt to maintain law & order. We’ll enquire and ensure no such untoward incidents.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) January 22, 2023

The BJP and the Hindu Right have called for a boycott of Shah Rukh's upcoming film Pathaan. They are alleging the film disrespects Hindu religion as Shah Rukh's co-start Deepika Padukone wore a saffron swimsuit. The colour saffron is a sacred Hindu symbol for many.

Many leaders, including those in the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, have demanded a ban on the film.

‘Pathaan’, which has been directed by Siddharth Anand, will be released on January 25.

(With PTI inputs)