Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan are well respected professionals. When they speak, everyone, not only film fans, listen. Both are troubled by the growing intolerance in India and both have made very public the continuing need for freedom of speech. Both are concerned by the current state of India.
Bachchan gave the inaugural speech at the 21st Kolkata International Film Festival and advocated Bollywood's place in polite society. This from FilmiBeat, "The Indian cinema from its beginning has taught us the lessons of finding love, justice and social unity. And most importantly the banishment of communal prejudices and hatred."
SRK, meanwhile, had this to say, ""Intolerance religiously...not being secular in this country is the worst crime you can do as a patriot." SRK would elaborate further in an interview with NDTV. Here are some of his more interesting bits -
"10. In my house, everyone is free to follow their religion. My kids were confused about whether they were Muslim or Hindu, I said 'why not Christian?'
11. Religious intolerance, or intolerance of any kind, is the worst thing and will take us to the dark ages. Indians lose face over the questions that are asked
12. If you are a patriot, you must love your country as a whole, not parts of it as religions and regions"
Never a very political figure, unlike Salman, SRK rarely speaks out about political issues but with more and more troubles occuring in India due growing religious intolerance that seems to be worsening everyday.
What do you think? Do you mind SRK taking a political stance?
This all come at a time when, according to the article, more and more stars are speaking out and have become disillusioned by the government's lack of resolve to commit to a plan of concrete action.
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