King For A Reason! Shah Rukh Khan's Speech Amid Calls To Boycott 'Pathaan' Is Winning Hearts

It's safe to say Shah Rukh Khan can smoothly juggle between two titles¡ª 'King of hearts' and 'King of words'. While the negativity around his upcoming film 'Pathaan' continues to rise, he was seen at ease at a recent event in Kolkata.

Following protests against his upcoming film Pathaan,' Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan spoke out on Thursday against cyber abuse and the cancellation culture that has developed in its wake.

Twitter

With a goofy grin, Shah Rukh first addressed the gathering in Bengali, referring to Amitabh Bachchan as the "son-in-law" of the city. He said,

Shah Rukh Khan/Twitter

¡°Firstly, it¡¯s great to be in Kolkata; it¡¯s great to see Didi, Dada, the beloved son-in-law of Kolkata, Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya aunty here. We haven¡¯t met for a long time. I am so happy to see my dear Rani¡­ But I am the most excited to see you all. I haven¡¯t been here for a couple of years.¡±

#WATCH | Social media often driven by a certain narrowness of view that limits human nature to its baser self...I read somewhere-negativity increases social media consumption...Such pursuits enclose collective narrative making it divisive & destructive: Shah Rukh Khan at Kolkata pic.twitter.com/LO1X5YUXh4

¡ª ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2022

"The collective narrative of our times is shaped by social media. Contrary to the belief that social media will affect cinema negatively, I believe cinema has an even more important role to play now," he said at the opening of the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF).

"Social media is often driven by a certain narrowness of view that limits human nature to its baser self. I read somewhere that negativity increases social media consumption and thereby increases its commercial value. Such pursuits enclose the collective narrative, making it divisive and destructive," Mr. Khan said.

#WATCH | No matter what the world does, people like us will stay positive: Shah Rukh Khan at Kolkata International Film Festival pic.twitter.com/QL6uyRFACS

¡ª ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2022

"We haven't been able to meet for a while, but the world is becoming normal now. We are all happy, and I am the happiest. And I have no qualms in saying that no matter what the world does, I and you, and all positive people in the world are ALIVE," he added.

In his speech, Khan said, ¡°Cinema brings humanity¡¯s immense capacity for compassion, unity, and brotherhood to the fore.¡±

¡°Cinema is the best place to sustain a counter-narrative that speaks to the larger nature of humankind,¡± said Khan, the guest of honor at KIFF.

Shah Rukh Khan/Twitter

The superstar also described cinema as a vehicle ¡°for people of different colors, castes, and religions to understand each other better.¡±

The comments were made amid right-wing social media users attacking his upcoming release, 'Pathaan,' with the support of some leaders of the BJP, the party currently in power at the center.

ILN

This is the second vitriolic campaign against a Muslim movie star this year, following Aamir Khan's 'Laal Singh Chaddha,' which was released in January.

AFP

Narottam Mishra, the BJP's Madhya Pradesh home minister, has threatened to ban the film's release in the state because, among other things, he believes one of the songs shows a "contaminated mindset."

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There has been a lot of backlash to the film "Pathaan" because of an accusation that star Deepika Padukone wears an orange dress in the song "Besharam Rang" (Shameless Color) that resembles the saffron that is sacred in Hinduism and is the primary color of the BJP.

Threatening the country's enormous film industry are campaigns that use such flimsy justifications to target Mr. Khan and his coworkers, who are not regarded as enthusiastic supporters of the ruling party.

(With inputs from PTI)

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