Amid 'Pathaan' Row, Congress MP Calls Shah Rukh Khan A "Rashtra Bhakt"

Amid the controversy over the song 'Besharam Rang' from upcoming Bollywood film 'Pathaan' for its costumes, Congress MP Rajeev Shukla came out in support of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan and said that he comes from a family of freedom fighters and he is a "rashtra bhakt" (patriot).

Speaking to ANI on Friday, the Congress MP said, "Shah Rukh Khan always remains positive and he comes from a family of freedom fighters. He comes from a family which is nationalist. Whatever he has said is right. He is a rashtra bhakt."

Earlier, while addressing the inauguration event of the Kolkata International Film Festival 2022. (KIFF), Khan without mentioning anything related to the Besharam Rang controversy emphasised that as negativity has increased social media consumption but individuals like him won't be affected and continue to remain positive.

"Cinema and infact the advent of articulation through social media platforms have now become a foremost expression of human experience and emotion. The collective narrative of times is shaped by social media and contrary to the belief that the spread of social media will affect cinema negatively," the Bollywood actor had said.

He added, "I believe cinema has a more important role to play now. Social media is often driven by a certain narrowness of view that limits human nature...I read somewhere negativity increases social media consumption and thereby increases its commercial value as well...Such pursuits enclose collective narrative making it divisive and destructive."

"Cinema exposes the vulnerability of human nature by telling stories in the simplest form as they are lived. It allows us to know each other better in a way it's best placed to sustain a collective counter-narrative that speaks to the larger nature of humankind," SRK continued.

After concluding his speech, Shah Rukh tweaked his Pathaan dialogue in order to urge people to focus on positivity.

"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, me and you, and all positive people in the world are alive," SRK had said in Hindi.

'Besharam Rang' was dropped online on December 12, and soon it triggered a fresh controversy.

While several liked the peppy track, there were also who found 'Besharam Rang' objectionable over the use of saffron and green costumes.

A slew of activists in Indore even staged a protest against Pathaan and Besharam Rang song and set effigies of Deepika and Shah Rukh on fire.

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra has also made his objections to the song clear.

Talking to the media, Narottam Mishra said, "The costumes in the song at first glance are objectionable. It is clearly visible that the song of the film 'Pathaan' has been shot with a dirty mindset."

Mishra's statement came two days after the song was released.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)