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Cinema
Aamir Khan
What Should I Apologize
For?
An interview
by MH Ahsan
 He
was in Spain, attending a friend's wedding and participating in the
Imagine India film festival, when Fanaa's producer Aditya Chopra and
director Kunal Kohli informed Aamir Khan about the ban imposed on his
latest release by cinema associations in Gujarat, allegedly under
pressure from the BJP. The BJP Yuva Morcha has been demanding that Aamir
apologize to the people of Gujarat for his "anti-Gujarat" stand in
support of the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) and his "anti-Narendra Modi"
remarks. Calm, a little philosophical, but resolute, the star told in an
interview on telephone from Madrid that he has no regrets about his
stance, and that he won't say sorry. Excerpts:
Did you anticipate the stalling of Fanaa?
Earlier, when I decided to support the NBA, the BJP stopped the
screening of Rang De Basanti in Gujarat and forcibly took it off the
screens. So certainly, there were chances that they might do so with
Fanaa.
They are opposing your stand as
anti-Gujarat, anti-development...
I'm doing what I feel is right. I did what I felt was right. I stand by
it. My concern was for the rehabilitation of the farmers and the
adivasis who would be deprived of their homes. What's wrong with voicing
this concern? Is the BJP trying to say it is not for rehabilitation,
that no compensation should be given to a farmer who stands to lose his
land?
Media reports say the protest has
also been prompted by certain remarks you made against Narendra Modi...
For a few hours that he went on fast, I had said that when he breaks his
fast and puts food in his mouth he should remember that the food has
been grown by farmers. If that truth is difficult to swallow, if it's
reason for them to come on so strong and powerful, then so be it.
Last year, I also spoke about the Gujarat genocide on the programme Walk
the Talk on NDTV. I had said that people killed in Godhra and its
aftermath were not Hindus or Muslims for me. They were Indians, and
whoever was responsible for the carnage was anti-Indian and
anti-national. If that was the reason for this (ban), so be it.
How does it affect the film and you
as a star?
The losses would be above Rs 5 crore. But that's a separate issue. I'm
not thinking about how it would affect me as a star. The issue here is
of the concept of democracy. If the people of Gujarat are annoyed with
me, they have the choice not to go to the theatre, not to see my film,
not to support me. But it's wrong for any organization to use its might
to force them into it.
A lot of time, money and effort have
gone into a film and then the audience doesn't get to watch it...
It's unfortunate. People do find ways to watch a film if they want to,
but there would still be huge financial losses. And, what about people
losing their land and houses? I think that's a far bigger, deeper issue.
What action do you plan to take now?
In life, nothing is in our control. The maximum we can do is to do what
we believe is right. I strongly believe that each one of us has to
fulfill our karma, to do what he or she feels is right. The BJP should
do what it feels is right, the people of Gujarat and India should do
what they feel is right.
There are many avenues I could take recourse to. There is the legal
option, I could seek help from the film industry and the various film
associations, but on this issue I want the people to decide. The people
should decide if this is the kind of political party they want. It's an
indication of how the BJP can use violence and force. Not just can –
they are doing it and intend to keep doing it. The BJP is a political
party that has time and again believed in using brute force. They have
no value for human life. The BJP is a strong entity. It can do much
worse than what it has already been doing.
Would you have a dialogue with the
protesters?
Why should we? It should be their decision, not ours.
Would you apologize?
What should I apologize for? What wrong have I done? I am happy and
proud of what I did.
May 7, 2006
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Cinema
The Week of June 4, 2006
Addressing Students: Open Letter from Member of a
Failed Generation by Rajinder Puri
Abolish Minorities Commission by V. Sundaram
Communist Parties Onslaught on Constitutional
Entities by Dr. Subhash Kapila
Genes, Darwin, Contraceptives, Demography and Salafi
Terrorism by Gaurang Bhatt, MD
Undoing India Through Caste Reservation by
Nagesh Padmanaban
A Dalit Straddles the Financial World an
Interview by MH Ahsan
It's Your Problem by Usha Kakkar
Do We Have Liberty? by TA Ramesh
Eminent Domain by Dr. Prasenjit Maiti
Parched Throats on the Coasts by VK Joshi
Sun Power, Woman Power by Fatima Chowdhury
Democracy in Ladakh : Marginalized Women by
Stanzin Dawa
The Untouchability in Ladakh - An Unethical
Practice by Stanzin Dawa
Poisoning the Umbilical Cord by Nabusayi L
Wamboka
A Haven for State-abetted Evangelism on Stilts
by V. Sundaram
Leadership and Power : Ethical Explorations
a review by Dr. Prema Nandakumar
Gunning Down the Opposition by Donna Demetillo
Must Knows for Your Child by
Garima Gupta
Sibling Harmony Versus Rivalry by Gary
Direnfeld
Who Moved My 'Apple'? by M. Qaiser and P. Mohan
Chandran
Decoding Da Vinci's Dissent by Mario D'Penha
In the Name of the Prophet by Shehar Bano Khan
Puppets for a Cause by Gagandeep Kaur
Fanaa – Aborted Classic Reviewed by MH Ahsan
Aamir Khan : What should I Apologize for?
Interview by MH Ahsan
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