BERLIN, Feb 12, (AFP) - Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan tried to calm a row in India linked to the premiere Friday of his new movie about the treatment of Muslims after the September 11 attacks amid threats of violent protests.
Activists from the ultra-nationalist Shiv Sena party said they would disrupt the film's release in India because of recent comments by Khan regretting the absence of Pakistani cricketers in the Indian Premier League (IPL) tournament.
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| Shah Rukh Khan poses during a photocall for his film My Name is Khan during the 60th Berlinale Film Festival in Berlin on Friday. AFP |
The 44-year-old Muslim actor, who was at the Berlin Film Festival for the red-carpet gala premiere of “My Name is Khan”, said he had been distressed to hear of the threats from right-wing Hindus.
“I think whatever issues there are with my statement, I am sure we can sit down and work it out. We cannot get into a state where we can't have a discussion,” he told reporters.
“I don't want any aggression, any problem, any stress with anyone. I get very disturbed and scared and emotionally hurt when things like this happen and... God willing, by the time I get back it should be sorted out,” he added.
“Right now, I'd just like to walk down the red carpet, have some champagne, and enjoy the film and be happy.”
Khan, born in New Delhi to parents from what is now Pakistan, part-owns IPL outfit the Kolkata Knight Riders.
The Shiv Sena, which pushes a regionalist, often anti-Muslim, anti-Pakistan agenda, has often backed up its stance with violence. It also sees itself as a guardian of traditional Hindu values.
Cinemas in the Indian city of Mumbai scaled back the release of “My Name Is Khan” over the threats.
Distributors Fox Star Studios have said they want the movie -- described by one critic as “one of the most meaningful and moving” Bollywood films in recent years -- to replicate the success of the Oscar-winning “Slumdog Millionaire”.
The film is being tipped to challenge the success of Aamir Khan's “3 Idiots”, which last month became Bollywood's biggest-grossing movie of all time.
“My Name is Khan” is screening out of competition at the Berlin Film Festival, which runs until February 21. |
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