As the nation is rejoicing with the triumphant victory of our Armed Forces, sacrifice of our bravehearts and paying deep respect to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for honouring the death of 26 tourists by Pakistan-backed terrorists at Pahalgam with Operation Sindoor, why are Bollywood’s Khans – Shah Rukh and Salman – maintaining a mysterious silence?
Not only this, even Sushmita Sen has also been batting for Pakistani actors in Hindi films. “Talent has no borders,” is her answer. It seems patriotism is not important for her. The fact that so-called nationalist Hindu celebrities have kept mum is the real problem.
At a time when our PM after taking a gutsy yet appropriate decision to devastate terror camps operating across the border, made a historic telecast that conveyed the message that “every terrorist knows the consequences of wiping sindoor from the foreheads of our sisters and daughters” and hearts of Bharatiyas were swelling with national pride, it seems that behaviour of our biggest stars is at odds with rest of Bharatiyas. Our citizens expressed outrage, horror and dismay over the way over two dozen Hindu men were killed in front of their wives and children but these so-called stars refrained from expressing happiness with the way Bharat took reverge against their arch enemies.
Instead of bowing their heads in reverence to our bravehearts who sacrificed their lives for safeguarding Bharat, these reel lives heroes have demonstrated that their sympathies are with the enemy nation that was formed on the basis of faith.
On April 22, a pall of gloom descended on the Valley and the rest of the country. The cold blooded manner in which holidayers were shot dead simply because they were Sanatanis was truly the most horrifying visuals seen on TV. Those disturbing visuals will remain etched in the minds of Bharatiyas. So when it seems that the entire Bharat is sort of celebrating the triumphant attack on terrorist infrastructure and their backers – the Pakistan Army and ISI, why are the two of our biggest superstars, who are feted by Indians cutting across faith and economic background, not openly expressing their feelings? This at a time when the entire country seems to have united our people and even some Opposition leaders like Owaisi are making patriotic statements.
Proud of Pathan Heritage
Is it due to the fact that both of them, who have time and again reminded Hindi film-going audience about their Pathan lineage and that their forefathers had come from Pakistan/Afghanistan, have a soft corner for the people of the Islamic country? Are they not ready to accept the Indian Government’s version that the attack was not only on civilians of Pakistan but on dreaded terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammad or Lashkar-e-Toiba?
Ater an initial backlash, Aamir Khan through his production house made a positive statement in favour of the Armed Forces. However, it came reluctantly and that too after initial dithering and brickbats from numerous social media handles.
Many years ago, as a feature journalist with a newspaper, I was assigned for a press conference of Salman Khan in Delhi. During the question-answer session, an Afghan journalist asked Salman about the connection of his paternal grandfather, Abdul Rashid Khan, a policeman in Indore, with Afghanistan. With a big smile on his face, Salman claimed his forefathers came from Afghanistan six generations ago, much to the delight of the journalist and some mediapersons of Gulf newspapers. Even Salim Khan has said in quite a few interviews that his family originally came from Afghanistan.
Even Salman’s close buddy, Shah Rukh Khan has repeatedly boasted of his Pakistani roots. His father, Meer Taj Mohammed Khan, a Pathan was born and raised in Peshawar, which lies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, known as North West Frontier Province during the British. It is a Pathan infested region bordering Afghanistan.
Owing Allegiance to a Terrorist Nation
Over a decade ago, when the Pakistani team was attending an event “Chak De Yaara”, while touring India, Shah Rukh, who was comparing the show, proudly announced that he too was a Pathan and his father came from Pakistan. At the same event, SRK tried to propitiate Pakistani players that he feels happy when Pakistan team wins.
“My father is actually from Peshawar, Pakistan. I am a Pathan too though I do not look like one. I have a weak constitution. But I am also a Pathan, lacking in height. And, this is not to create any controversy… but when you win, I feel like my father’s side has won…”
He said that he wasn’t as good looking as Shahid Afridi, a fellow Pathan who is a household name in Pakistan. Perhaps he should have checked Shahid Afridi’s notorious family background.
Afridi: Mischief Monger
Ever since Operation Sindoor struck Pakistan like a piercing arrow, Shahid Afridi has been intentionally stirring up discord with Bharat. His run-ins with Gautam Gambhir and anti-India stand are well known. He did not express a word of condolence for grieving Hindu widows whose sindoor was wiped off on that fateful day when the Pahalgam terror attack took place on April 22. Not stopping at this, Afridi, even took out a jeep ride to falsely claim that Pakistan had won the war. He even made a vicious attack against Indians claiming that our Armed Forces had “killed Pak children” when the whole world is aware of the fact that it was the dreaded terrorists of Jaish and Lakshar who were targeted in Operation Sindoor. Perhaps he needs to be schooled for making outrageous, baseless charges against a nation which is a victim of terror. This former cricketer, who is originally from areas bordering Afghanistan but has now made Karachi his home, even disrespected PM Modi and peddaled lies perpetrated by ISI and Pak Army that not a single Indian civilian was killed during the massacre in Jammu-Kashmir.
Family’s Closeness with Pak Army
Afridi’s line of thought and perennial hatred for Bharat and its people can be understood given his family’s close connection with the Pakistan Army. It has to do with his forefathers. His grandfather, an Afridi Pathan, had reportedly crossed the line and created mayhem in the pristine Valley. It is on record that his grandfather Sahibzada Abdul Baqi earned the title of Ghazi-e-Kashmir (conqueror of Kashmir) for his role in the invasion of Jammu-Kashmir in 1947. During this invasion, women were criminally assaulted and abducted as war booty.
Afridi’s dubious background has also been corroborated by former Armyman Major Gaurav Arya in a TV show and social media. Afridi, a darling of the Pakistan Army, which is ruling Pakistan with an iron fist, has domestic compulsions to return his love for Pakistan as he has to be in the good books of the establishment. Perhaps he can be the next PM of Pakistan given that his senior Imran Khan is languishing in jail. But SRK, who was born and brought up in Delhi, has no such compulsions. Why is he reluctant to praise the Indian Armed Forces?
Perhaps the Khans need to take a leaf out of the book of Amitabh Bachchan, who on May 11made his social media comeback with a lengthy post on Operation Sindoor by the Indian Armed Forces in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack. However, since April 22, Big B had refrained from making any comment on the Pahalgam massacre. He shared a series of blank posts on his X page making many netizens wonder why Big B, who is normally active on social media, was refraining from commenting either on the Pahalgam massacre or on the Indian Armed Forces success in neutralising Pakistani drones.
Yesteryears Actors Vs Current Generation
Normally, Bollywood actors of yesteryears like Dev Anand, Sunil Dutt would side with our Armed Forces. Why is that Bollywood actors, especially those who used to have cozy relationships with the Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim are not ready to acknowledge the sacrifices of our bravehearts, who are putting their blood, sweat and tears to teach treacherous Pakistani establishment a lesson that blood of innocent Bharatiyas would not go in vain.
Agenda of Leftist actors like Swara Bhaskar, Shabana Azmi is well known.
Normally, the garrulous Farhan Akhtar, who never spares any opportunity to attack Hindu community for any communal incident, has also not said a word in praise for our Armed Forces.
Patriotic Only On Silverscreen
Apart from romantic flicks, Shah Rukh does larger-than-life roles. He has done patriotic films like Jawan, where he played Vikram Ratore, a retired Commando of Indian Army, or Paathan, where he essayed a RAW agent. However, his nationalism is not reflected in his statements.
As a shrewd businessman, SRK has made an astronomical sum of money from his production house and cricket franchise. There is nothing wrong with this. What is objectionable is that he has ensured that Pakistanis – whether it is Mahira Khan or Wasim Akram – got employment in Bharat. Mahira was in his home production Raees where SRK played a happy go lucky gangster. Thankfully, All Indian Cine Workers Association, a non-profit organisation registered at Mumbai, have asked for boycott of Mahira Khan for making an anti-Bharat statement on Operation Sindoor.
Wasim Akram, who made a confession on Simi Garewal’s show Rendezvous that his teammates would regularly use abusive language against Indian batsmen to divert their attention from the game, became bowlers’ guru at Kolkata Knight Riders. His tenure with KKR spanning from 2010 to 2016 filled his coffers.
After the so-called Gujarat riots, Shah Rukh in a film show made a sarcastic remark that seemed to suggest that he was trying to stoke communal sentiments. This came at a time when some Left wing journalists were trying to show perpetrators as victims in the post-Sabarmati train burning incident in which dozens of Kar Sevaks were burnt alive.
Even filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who made Pakistani singers like Rahat Fateh Ali Khan a household name in India, has also been maintaining a discreet silence on India’s pyrrhic victory over an adversary that has been aiding and abetting Jihadis shortly from Independence till April 22 with the intention to bleed Bharat with thousand cuts. His family’s closeness can be seen from the fact that his son Rahul Bhatt, a body builder who failed to win hearts of TV viewers with Bigg Boss, had accompanied David Headley across Mumbai. Due to this familiarisation with the city, Headley managed to do a reiki of Mumbai. This helped ISI and Pak Army to conduct the dastardly Mumbai attack in 2008 in which 166 Bharatiyas were killed by Lashkar-e-Toiba.
Unsympathetic to Mumbai Attack
Coming to Salman, he reportedly told a Pakistani channel that the Mumbai attacks were hyped up because “elite people” were involved. This irresponsible statement showed that Salman did not feel remorse for fellow Mumbaikars or those from other parts of the country who were barbarically butchered by ten Lashkar men.
Importantly, this statement made in an indirect way absolved Pakistan of its involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai carnage that claimed 166 lives of Bharatiyas. The actor backtracked only after Mumbai politician Raj Thackery visited his Galaxy apartments and gave him a dressing down. Salman was accompanied by his father Salim Khan.
The controversial statement on Mumbai attacks triggered flak from Indian fans whose blood boiled after witnessing the carnage on live TV. To save himself from the blame and perhaps after wise counselling of his family members, Salman tried to brush his comments under the carpet by claiming that his words were “twisted” out of context. He even apologised on Twitter.
While one can understand that a huge gap exists between real life and reel, the Khan brothers, who enjoy love and affection of millions of film fans and have earned crores from big blockbusters, have shown that they only earn moolah from this country but their heart lies in the other country.
Even yesteryears actor Dilip Kumar, whose real name was Yusuf Khan and was decorated with Nishan-e-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s highest civilian award, in 1998. He had an emotional connection with that country. It was an open secret. Indeed, his words matched his actions. He expressed the fact that his heart fluttered for Pakistan. Once, the Peshawar-born actor was watching an absorbing cricket match between India and Pakistan. One of his friends, a Punjabi, who was born in undivided Punjab and was conversant in Urdu, was also watching with him. While India was winning the match, Dilip Kumar turned to his friend’s ears and told him in a mix of Punjabi and Urdu that while he was clapping for Indian boys (cricketers), his heart was grief stricken as his beloved Pakistan was losing. That friend’s son was a journalist who later told his close friends about this incident.
Now I rest my case although there can be some exceptions like Manoj Kumar, who was born in North West Frontier province but nationalism was in his veins.
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