Aamir Khan has addressed the controversy surrounding his 2014 film PK and responded to accusations of promoting "love jihad." In a recent interview on Aap Ki Adalat, the actor firmly denied that the film was anti-religious and clarified its message.
Khan explained that PK was not intended to offend any religion. He stated, "We're not against any religion. We respect all religions and all religious people. That film just tells us to be cautious of those who exploit religion to fool the common man in order to extract money from them." He emphasized that the film's sole purpose was to caution people against those who exploit religion for personal gain, a sentiment he believes is applicable across all faiths.
The film PK faced criticism for its portrayal of a Hindu woman (Anushka Sharma) falling in love with a Pakistani Muslim man (Sushant Singh Rajput). Some critics accused the film of promoting "love jihad," a controversial term used to describe an alleged conspiracy where Muslim men lure non-Muslim women into relationships to convert them to Islam.
Aamir Khan refuted these allegations, stating that when people from different religions fall in love, it is simply love and humanity, not "love jihad." He further illustrated his point by citing examples from his own family. Khan mentioned that his sister Nikhat is married to Santosh Hegde, a Hindu, and another sister, Farhat, is married to Rajiv Dutta, also a Hindu. Additionally, his daughter, Ira Khan, recently married Nupur Shikhare, a Hindu man. He emphasized that these relationships are built on love and mutual respect, underscoring that love transcends religious boundaries. Aamir Khan himself has been married to two Hindu women, Reena Dutta and Kiran Rao.
Addressing questions about the names of his children—Junaid Khan, Ira Khan, and Azad Rao Khan—Aamir clarified that these names were chosen by his wives. He noted that Ira's name is derived from Irawati, a Hindu name found in Menaka Gandhi's book on Hindu names, and Azad was named after Maulana Azad, a freedom fighter and the first Education Minister of Independent India. He humorously added that as a husband, he didn't have much say in the naming process.
Khan also addressed accusations of mocking Hinduism in his films, reiterating his respect for all religions. He clarified that his intention was to question those who exploit religion for their advantage, not to insult any particular faith.
On the work front, Aamir Khan is set to appear in Sitaare Zameen Par alongside Genelia D'Souza, directed by RS Prasanna, which is scheduled for release on June 20.
