India’s favourite hero Shah Rukh Khan recently attended an event in Mumbai, Magnetic Maharashtra, a business summit, where he was speaking at a seminar. Khan spoke about culture, the potential of Mumbai as a media hub in the future, and the creative freedom of artist’s today in India. While talking about what artist face, he also weighed in on Padmaavat and the situation around it.
When asked if creative people who are emotional should have a thick skin in times when creativity is in danger, he said that all around the world, there are times when people do not like what other people make. And it is something that has happened to almost everyone.
“You will find some people who will find some reason to dislike it – be it a film, news piece, web series. It’s going to keep happening. It has happened to all of us at certain times in our career. Where certain sections of people have said they don’t like it. But the films finally do get released. If they are nice films, people lap it up.”
About Padmaavat, Khan said he has suggested that the film’s team not talk about it, as anything you say about something like this only worsens it. He also said that by paying attention, responding, and getting involved in these things, especially if big names are attached, Bollywood can often give undue publicity to people who do not need it.
“Sometimes, when people are going in an ‘uprising’, you should just stand back. I want you to come to the theater safe and sound with your child and happily go, even if you don’t like the film. That’s my responsibility. So the hurtfulness is not because ‘I am worried about my film’ but I am worried about that girl, my own son watching the film.”
He also went onto say that no one makes a film to specifically disrupt a community or a region, but sometimes it happens inadvertently. And with the kind of rise in technology, information, and communication around us, there will come a time when ideas will flow freely. and no one will be able to stop that. “The faster we get used to that idea, the better. This is the beauty of the current world for entertainment and media,” he concluded on the topic.
H/T: Indian Express