New Delhi: A day after he refused to comment on violent protests against the film Pathaan in Assam’s Narengi and asked ‘who is Shah Rukh Khan’ – the Bollywood superstar who stars in the film – Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that he received a call from Khan at 2 am and has assured him of peace.
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 film Pathaan has not released yet but Hindutva groups across India have led a campaign against it on social media and protests involving vandalism, citing the fact that the woman leading it, actor Deepika Padukone, appears in a song in a saffron bikini.
Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra had said in December that the costume worn by Padukone was “highly objectionable” and that if the scenes are not “corrected” then the film may not be allowed to be released in the state.
Hindutva anger against Bollywood has of late been particularly targeted against Muslim actors and cinema personalities.
The Central Board of Film Certification has also directed the makers of Pathaan to implement “changes” in the movie, including its songs, chairperson Prasoon Joshi said late last year.
The film is scheduled to release on January 25.
According to the Sentinel Assam, Bajrang Dal activists started protests against the film in Guwahati’s Narengi, on Friday, January 20. Activists invaded a cinema hall, tore down posters and set them ablaze, while raising ‘Jai Shri Ram’.
The news agency PTI has reported that when reporters asked Assam chief minister Sarma on the protest, he said, “Who is Shah Rukh Khan? I don’t know anything about him or his film Pathaan.”
Sarma then reportedly asked people to see the Assamese film Dr Bezbarua -Part 2 which is also slated for release.
PTI reported Sarma having said that many Bollywood stars reach out to him ahead of the release of their films if there are protests but that Shah Rukh Khan was not one of them.
“Khan has not called me, though many from Bollywood do so, regarding the problem. But if he does, I will look into the matter. Action will be taken if law and order have been violated and a case has been filed,” Sarma said.
Early on Sunday, January 22, Sarma posted a tweet noting that Shah Rukh Khan had called him very early in the morning.
“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,” Sarma wrote in his tweet.
At the latest national executive meeting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly “cautioned” BJP leaders against making “unnecessary remarks” against films and film personalities.