Shahrukh Khan defends himself over interview

Easily the most popular actor and also commonly known as ‘The King of Bollywood,’ Shahrukh Khan has recently been under fire for a statement on religion his spokesperson said was a ‘misprint’ in one of his recent interviews.

Khan reportedly made some remarks against Prophet Muhammad in the July issue of Time N Style magazine. An FIR was registered against the actor by the Mumbai Aman Committee.

In the wake of the Mumbai attacks many famous Muslim Bollywood actors, including Shahrukh Khan, have felt insecure. But Khan seems to be facing the fire from both sides.

In a statement sent to Dawn, Sanjiv Chawla, CEO of Shahrukh Khan’s company Red Chillies, described the reaction to Khan’s interview as ‘unfounded’ and unfortunate.

Shahrukh Khan has appealed to Muslims through his spokesperson in a series of statements defending his strong belief in Islam, starting with the reaction of those who misunderstood part of his interview which he said was a misprint.

He continued by mentioning his previous interviews during the past 20 years in which he says he quoted the teachings of the prophet. He also mentioned how he has been brought up on the words of the Holy Prophet and has always believed in them: ‘My parents, Allah bless their souls, would never forgive me if I did something against the teachings of the Quran and the Prophet,’ Khan said.

Rhetorically, he asked why he would hurt the sentiments of his own people when he has lead the life of a good Muslim. He also asked people to stop overreacting to a misprint and later in an emotional turnaround asked for forgiveness, first from God and then from the people whose feelings he said he had unwittingly hurt.

‘I will always check the copy of the journalists who do interviews with me, especially on sensitive issues,’ Khan said.