On Monday, Aamir said he was 'alarmed by a number of incidents.' Speaking at the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism in Delhi, Aamir also said, "When I chat with Kiran at home, she says, 'Should we move out of India?' That's a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make. She fears for her child. She fears what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers every day." (Also Read: Aamir Khan Joins 'Intolerance' Debate, Says Wife Even Suggested Leaving India)
The ruling BJP has dismissed the actor's statements as 'alarmist.' On Twitter, the general feeling appears to be that Aamir should not be knocking the country that made him a huge star. PK, the controversial 2014 film about religion and godmen that he starred, was referenced several times.
For once, Bollywood didn't close ranks. On Twitter, many from the film fraternity were among Aamir's most outspoken critics.
Actor Rishi Kapoor had strong words for his colleague:
Mr.&Mrs. Amir Khan. When things are going wrong and the system needs correction,repair it,mend it.Don't run away from it. That is Heroism!
- rishi kapoor (@chintskap) November 24, 2015Actor Paresh Rawal, the BJP MP from Ahmedabad East, had a series of tweets for his Andaz Apna Apna co-star:
Aamir is a fighter so he should not leave but change the situation in the country ! jeena yahan marna yahan !
- Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) November 23, 2015A true patriot will not run away n leave his motherland behind in turmoil or in troubled times (if any )...don't escape - build it ..
- Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) November 23, 2015If I believe this is my motherland then I will never talk about leaving it ....but I would if I had believed otherwise ...
- Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) November 23, 2015Intolerance !PK did rattle the belief of Hindus but Aamir dint face the wrath of Hindu or THE MAJORITY n but was super hit n made crores !
- Paresh Rawal (@SirPareshRawal) November 23, 2015Mr Rawal also spoke to NDTV via telephone and said, "Aamir is an intelligent fellow. He should have been careful while making this statement since such comments lead to unrest. He did not raise this issue earlier. Anybody can say anything, people say a lot of thing about PM Modi. I have already said every country has its own problems. Credit goes to the government for letting people speak their mind. The government is not supporting fringe elements. Development is the only agenda."
Among the first to call the actor out on Twitter was Aamir's colleague Anupam Kher, whose wife Kirron is the BJP MP from Chandigarh. Mr Kher tweeted late Monday:
Dear @aamir_khan. Did you ask Kiran which country would she like to move out to? Did you tell her that this country has made you AAMIR KHAN.
- Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) November 23, 2015Dear @aamir_khan. Did you tell Kiran that you have lived through more worse times in this country & but you never thought of moving out.
- Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) November 23, 2015Dear @aamir_khan. When did 'Incredible India' become 'Intolerant India' for you? Only in the last 7-8 months? #AtithiDevoBhavah
- Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) November 23, 2015Dear @aamir_khan Presumed country has become #Intolerant. Wat do u suggest 2 millions of Indians? Leave India? Or wait till regime changes?
- Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) November 23, 2015Dear @aamir_khan. #SatyamevaJayate u talked about evil practices but gave Hope. So even in 'Intolerant' times u need 2 spread Hope not Fear.
- Anupam Kher (@AnupamPkher) November 23, 2015Ram Gopal Varma tweeted:
Isn't Aamir,Sharuk,Salman,3 Muslims becoming biggest stars of a Hindu country proof enough that india is tolerant?
- Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) November 24, 2015Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, who is a member of the Censor Board, also tweeted: :
#KiranRao led #MAMI whr #India & Indian cinema wr celebrtd. @aamir_khan himslf a superstar loved & celebrtd pan India. Whr is d intolerance?
- Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) November 23, 2015Now that @aamir_khan also feels we are an #IntolerantNation. Let us now go all out and prove once for all that we are really intolerant.
- Ashoke Pandit (@ashokepandit) November 23, 2015He also told news agency ANI, "Aamir Khan is a star who doesn't need publicity, I respect him, but this is a very irresponsible statement. I am sad and appalled."
Actress Raveena Tandon, Aamir's love interest in Andaz Apna Apna, issued several tweets that hit out at 'those who did not want PM Modi to become PM' but was careful not to name Aamir:
Guess all those who did not want pm Modi to become PM,want 2 bring this govt down..sadly becoz of politics,they are shaming country ..
- Raveena Tandon (@TandonRaveena) November 24, 2015Fringe elements were always there,1can always say thats condemnable,action needs to be taken against them,but to spread paranoia?not done
- Raveena Tandon (@TandonRaveena) November 24, 2015Wonder why they didn't feel fear when bombs ripped the heart of mumbai.. Or our security was breached #26/11-gosh!no point same argument
- Raveena Tandon (@TandonRaveena) November 24, 2015Let's cut the BS-why can't these people openly say that they weren't happy since d day Modi became PM..instead of shaming the whole country
- Raveena Tandon (@TandonRaveena) November 24, 2015Really-have the guts to say it openly,instead of dragging the whole country's image down,I don't have a problem with any form of protest..
- Raveena Tandon (@TandonRaveena) November 24, 2015Others criticizing Aamir include author Taslima Nasreen:
We'll get intolerance more or less everywhere in the world.India should be the safest place for India's celebrity filmstar Amir Khan& family
- taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) November 24, 2015The prevailing wind among aam janata was firmly anti-Aamir:
#AamirKhan Can Insult Hindu Gods ,Make Fun of them ,Earn Billions & then Blamed Indians are #Intolerant SHAME ON HIM pic.twitter.com/QVDu0pKezP
- RUPESH :-) (@rupeshsingh10) November 24, 2015Charge hefty amnt to shed glycerine tears on TV, mock othr Rel, marry Hindu girls but kids are strictly Muslim.. Define tolerance #AamirKhan
- Sona (@sona2905) November 24, 2015#AamirKhan is lecturing Doctors what to do and what not ,without even knowing abc of Toughest educational course. Yeah that's Intolerance.
- *_* (@KillWidSarcasm) November 24, 2015You are rich & have access to security. What makes you and your children feel 'scared'? False claims to give political statement #AamirKhan
- Gaurav Sansanwal (@GSansanwal) November 24, 2015Why are some "secular" Indians so insincere or blind? #AamirKhan pls name one country more tolerant than #India towards huge diversity
- Sanjay Rathod (@Sanjay_Vis) November 24, 2015A smaller chorus of voices have spoken for Aamir, among them Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor, Raj Babbar and Abhishek Singhvi and filmmaker Sanjay Gupta.
BJP shud stop silencing voices thro abuses n threats. Its high time centrl govt took concrete steps 2 instil sense of security amngst people
- Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) November 23, 2015#AamirKhan Moral of the story - Do not speak your mind in public, be diplomatic & keep smiling. Else face the wrath of the twitter brigade.
- Sanjay Gupta (@_SanjayGupta) November 24, 2015Shashi Tharoor was quoted by ANI as saying, "Nowhere was Aamir Khan's statement hostile to the government. He said it in a responsible way. He's a man who commands great national audience, he speaks for all Indians. You can't reduce people like Aamir and Shah Rukh to one community or a particular point of view. They are speaking as individuals who really have shown over the years tremendous concern and patriotism for country."
Abhishek Singhvi told ANI, "What Aamir Khan said in the presence of senior BJP leaders is what millions in country feel."
Congress leader Raj Babbar also supported Aamir, saying that he had a lot of 'respect' for the actor since he spoke 'on behalf of everyone.' He said, "People should not dissect one statement and make fun of a person. People should understand that Aamir made those remarks because he was concerned about his family. Aamir is a mature individual and people should value him and understand his feelings."
Director Saeed Mirza said the actor should be allowed to express 'his point of view.' "Look, you have points of view. Let them be heard. I heard about the statement of Aamir Khan this morning. In fact, I read about it. He has a point of view, let it be heard. We can debate it, but you can't have a statement being made and charges being levelled against a person who has made that statement" Mr Mirza told news agency IANS on the sidelines of a student's film festival in Panaji.
Actor Raza Murad, who had supported Aamir when his film PK was being targeted by fringe groups, told news agency ANI, "Aamir Khan and Kiran Rao are citizens of this country, they have a right to their opinion,"
Aamir, meanwhile, is taking a week-long break from filming sports biopic Dangal after a shoulder injury forced him off set. Dangal, in which Aamir plays wrestler Mahavir Phogat, also stars Sakshi Tanwar and releases next year.
