After the recent moves by Indian extremist part Shiv Sena top actors like Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan think it is vital that they speak up against the extreme behaviour of the party. Shiv Sena recently declared that they will do every possible thing to ensure that Pakistanis do not get to work in India. They also threatened Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan who are both going to be seen in Bollywood films soon.
Shah Rukh Khan who usually tries to stay away from controversy thought that this was a time when he needed to take a stand for all Pakistanis working in India and for his co-star Mahira Khan in particular who is playing the role in his upcoming film Raees. While talking to the press Shah Rukh Khan said,
“It is so silly. What do creative people have to do with this? The politics of two countries can be handled by the politicians. How does this inter-culture exchange of artists between two countries [which was one country some years ago] change anything.”
He also said that Mahira Khan was part of his film which means she had the right to work in India. When asked if he was afraid people will criticize him for defending Pakistani artists he said,
“By what standard can I be unpatriotic? I’m an Indian movie star. I was born in India, I’m… Indian. To all saying go to Pakistan, and leave India I just say shut up.”
Salman Khan also supported Pakistani content and Pakistani talent by saying,
“Now that everything is digital, Indians love to watch each and every entertainment show, including popular Pakistani shows . So, art and entertainment have no boundaries. Entertainment is evaluated by what common people want to watch.”
He also said,
“If someone wants a Pakistani actor who can portray a role better, nobody can put a constraint. Bollywood has a huge number of fans in Pakistan and earns a good share of income from the neighboring country.”