Shah Rukh Khan got embroiled in the “extreme intolerance” debate in the country after he expressed his views about the prevailing situation in the country, but the superstar says there is no need for him to prove his “secular” credentials.
Asked about the debate, the Bollywood "Badshah" said in an interview to ETV channel: “I really don't know anything about this. I speak straight-forward, clear-cut and good things whenever I speak. And I feel I need not prove myself secular."
"The logic is that if we want to move forward, we should not keep such things in our mind like sex differentiation, whether the person is fair or dark, which religion the person belongs to, which region the person hails from or which caste the person belongs to."
Shah Rukh's comment on "extreme intolerance" in India last month landed him in a soup, with leading BJP MP Yogi Adityanath comparing him to Pakistani terrorist Hafiz Saeed, and another Hindutva proponent, Sadhvi Prachi, dubbing the actor a "Pakistani agent".
Superstar Aamir Khan had to face a similar problem after he shared that his wife had suggested they leave the country.
The controversy was revisited by VHP leader Sadhvi Prachi on Tuesday when she attacked Shah Rukh and Aamir saying they are “tarnishing” the image of India through their comments on intolerance.
Shah Rukh feels there is no end to such “things”, and he has made a resolution -- to talk about acting and films only.
“I have decided, I will discuss serious topics on a platform where I would be invited to discuss on that. But that is very rare. In most of the cases, people don't invite me for discussion on serious topics. But it is not required to discuss on such topics during films and birthday.
“Because the platform is not correct. When I speak in such programmes, people take my half words and they are placed in a different context. So, I think it is better that actors on acting platform should talk about acting and films only,” said SRK, who is awaiting the release of his film “Dilwale”.
He added: “If someone tells me that he is more patriotic than me, then he is stupid. From which angle can someone justify himself to be more patriotic? There is no logic behind that. We suddenly start shouting that I am more patriotic than you. Actually, we all are patriotic.”
The 50-year-old, also a producer now, started his journey in showbiz from the small screen and made a mark in Bollywood with films like "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge", "Baazigar", "Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham..." and "My Name Is Khan".
The actor asserts that he expressed his genuine feeling in the previous interview, which was tossed away as negative.
“I genuinely spoke that I will teach my children these things. Then someone asked me 'Do you think such things are there?' I replied, 'It's not there'.
“But it should not be there to move forward in life. I even told that some people will take it wrong and say that he is speaking like that... Who will be more thankful towards this nation than me,” asked Shah Rukh, who is married to Gauri and has three children.
Talking about Narendra Modi's government, Shah Rukh heaped praise upon the prime minister, calling his governance “fantastic”.
“I think the developmental clause of his governance is fantastic. I am all for modernness and development. And it will be fantastic if he takes it up and makes it for the whole country,” he said.
