What’s the buzz right now? Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and their much anticipated movie ‘My Name is Khan’ is what everyone’s talking about.
Well, the buzz is about the film – but also about what could almost become a drama in its own right – the Shiv Sena’s clumsy attempt to muzzle free speech. By now everyone knows about the Sena’s threat to sabotage ‘My Name is Khan’ in order to punish Shah Rukh Khan for his comment about wanting to include Pakistani players in the IPL. The Sena has threatened distributors and theater owners in Mumbai for having the temerity to show the movie, and by association, movie-goers who would dare to watch the film.
Since when has it become a crime for a citizen – and that is who Shah Rukh is – to voice his opinion? He has refused to apologize and that’s got the Sena riled up even more – distributors and theater owners have heard from the Powers That Be that it would be unwise to show the movie.
Ordinary people have been shaking their heads at the Sena’s bullying but social networking is putting voice to these concerns. Bloggers have been vocal about Shah Rukh’s right to speak, and Sabrina Dhawan, screenwriter of many films including ‘Monsoon Wedding’, has actually started a group on Facebook called ‘My Name is Khan/Stand Up to the Shiv Sena.’
“I don’t know if MNIK is any good. I wasn’t especially planning on seeing it. I have nothing to do with it,” she writes. “But I’m outraged that the Shiv Sena has threatened to destroy movie theaters that show the film because Shah Rukh Khan said Pakistani players should be allowed to play in the Indian premiere cricket league.
This is terrorism. To threaten to destroy property and possibly lives over this is revolting.
Good for Shah Rukh Khan for refusing to apologize. Good for him for saying Mumbai belongs to all Indians.”
At last count about 300 supporters had joined the Facebook group and as one of them, Ashish Pitale, noted, “I feel that the law of the land should be respected by everyone .No organization should be allowed to take the law in its own hands. We will become a civil society only when we respect the institutions of our country. No one should be allowed to shove their point of view down someone else’s throat.”
Twitter has been a-twitter with support for Shah Rukh – in fact Shah Rukh Khan @ iamsrk has become a trending topic on Twitter in the UK. ‘Do you Think Shiv Sena Should apologize to Shah Rukh Khan?way hey!’ is a hot voting poll at http://bit.ly/dnJf8b
And Shah Rukh Khan’s fans are protesting the Shiv Sena in Kolkota – http://upne.ws/BUEM according to various tweets. And as gurupartap RT @vasudevManvika: “Shah Rukh Khan is under fire because he chose to do what every Indian should — standing by the truth. Let’s tell him that he is not alone.”
Kajol tweeted: “Mumbaikers, don’t worry people, even Chengez Khan can’t stop MNIK release, relax and let all your positive energy flow here.” And Abhishek Bachchan got it right when he tweeted : “All that has been happening over the past few days is very unfortunate and sad! I believe that sports, arts and culture should be above politics.”
Actually as admiration and sympathy for Shah Rukh builds up for his standing up to the bullying tactics of the Sena, the organization may have done the thing they fear most – unwittingly helped promote ‘My Name is Khan.’
“We often wonder what we can do in the face of such extremism,” writes Dhawan. “How about coming out in droves to see MNIK? Support the film, even if only to symbolically stand up against the Shiv Sena’s bigotry and reign of terror. It opens Feb 12. Go see it in a movie theater. Do your part to stop this insanity.”
Well, fellow agitators, the task of the moment, the patriotic thing to do, is to watch ‘My Name is Khan’. Being a karmayogi was never so easy or so entertaining. So let the box office registers ring out loud and clear and prove to the Sena that we have hearing problems and didn’t quite hear their threats.
However, one must point out, bravado is easier when you’re continents away from the Sena. The real test will be how people in India react, and how the country stands up for free speech, whether it involves the voice of an iconic celebrity like Shah Rukh Khan or that of a struggling taxi driver in Mumbai who is told he must speak in Marathi or pack up.
We’ll leave the last word to Shah Rukh Khan who has been tweeting on the upheavals as he travels to New York and London to promote ‘My Name is Khan.’
“Sad my statements are seen as a stand against a group instead of a stand for myself and my individuality,” he muses. “Differences in ideology should be grounds for debates and discussion. A must for freedom of thought. To see it any other way is so unfortunate.”
