Shah Rukh Khan's words on Being a Khan - Dil Se!
Outlook Turning Points 2013 [Published By The New York Times] On the misconstrued inference, SRK let out an impactful, touching statement on Being a Khan!
According
to me, all our lives we
are defined by three identities.
Two
of which are fortunately
acquired by birth and are a matter of unconditional love and acceptance.
The
first identity is
acquired by where one is born. Our Motherland. That defines us. So foremost all
of us here like me are proud Indians.
Second the family
name and upbringing that our parents give us. Mine is Khan, like some of us
here. I am very proud of my parents, like all of us are here. I love them
unconditionally.
The
third is the profession we choose that defines us. By some quirk of fate I am a
celebrity… a public figure in the fields of art and media. Like most of
us are here today.
As
I said being an Indian and my parents’ child
is an unconditional accepted truth of my life and I am very proud of both.
The
third… being a public figure makes me open to any kind of
questioning, adjectives
good and bad and or sometimes makes me an object of controversy as people use
my name and statements to attach any positive or negative sentiment to it. I
accept all the above because this is the life I chose and will stand by it. I
am what I am, because of the love and admiration that comes with being who I am
in my profession…so I thank everyone for making me the star I am.
Now
to address this whole issue, with regards to my
Article, that has taken an unwarranted twist . I do not even understand the
basis of this controversy.
Ironically
the article I wrote (yes its written by me) was actually meant to
reiterate that on
some occasions my being an Indian Muslim film star is misused by bigots and
narrow minded people who have misplaced religious ideologies for small
gains….and ironically the same has happened through this article…once
again.
The
reason for this
primarily is….I think some of the people have not even read it and are reacting
to comments of people, who in turn have also not read it. So I implore you all
to first read it.
Second
if you read it, nowhere does the article state or imply
directly or indirectly that I feel unsafe….troubled or disturbed in
India.
It
does not even vaguely say that I am ungrateful for the love that I have received
in a career spanning 20 years. On the contrary the article only says that in
spite of bigoted thoughts of some of
the people that surround us….I am untouched by skepticism because of the love I
have received by my countrymen and women.
I will
paraphrase the beginning and the end of the article to clarify and substantiate
my stand.
“Then,
there is the image I most see, the one of me in my own country: being acclaimed
as a megastar, adored and glorified, my fans mobbing me with love and apparent
adulation.
So
I am a Khan, but no stereotyped image is factored into my idea of who I am.
Instead, the living of my life has enabled me to be deeply touched by the love
of millions of Indians. I have felt this love for the last 20 years regardless
of the fact that my community is a minority within the population of India. I
have been showered with love across national and cultural boundaries, they
appreciate what I do for them as an entertainer – that’s all. My life has led me
to understand and imbibe that love is a pure exchange, untempered by definition
and unfettered by the narrowness of limiting ideas.
Sometimes,
they ask me what religion they belong to and, like a good Hindi movie hero, I
roll my eyes up to the sky and declare philosophically, “you are an Indian first
and your religion is Humanity”, or sing them an old Hindi film ditty, “tu hindu
banega na musalmaan banega – insaan ki aulaad hai insaan banega” set to Gangnam
style.
Why
should not the love we share be the last word in defining us instead of the last
name? It doesn’t take a superstar to be able to give love, it just takes a heart
and as far as i know, there isn’t a force on this earth that can deprive anyone
of theirs.
I
am a Khan, and that’s what it has meant being one, despite the stereotype images
that surround me. To be a Khan has been to be loved and love back….”
I
would like to tell all those who are offering me unsolicited advice that we in
India are extremely safe and happy. We have an amazing democratic, free and
secular way of life. In the environs that we live here in my country India, we
have no safety issues regarding life or material. As a matter of fact it is
irksome for me to clarify this non-existent issue. With respect I would like to
say to anyone who is interpreting my views and offering advice regarding them,
please read what I have written first.
Also
some of the views that I have been made to read are just an extension of soft
targeting celebs and creating an atmosphere of emotional outbursts and
divisiveness based on religion…in the minds of some. I implore
everyone to
understand, that my article is against exactly this kind of giving in to
propaganda and aggressiveness. Lets not be misled by tools which use religion as
an anchor for unrest and a policy of divide and rule.
We
are all educated and patriotic people. We do not have to prove that time and
again because of divisive politics of a few.
My
own family and friends, are like a mini India…where all religions,
professions and a few wrongs included, all are treated with tolerance and
understanding and regard for each other. I only sell love…love that I have got
from millions of Indians and non Indians….and stand indebted to my audience in
my country and around the world. It is sad that I have to say it to prove it, in
my country, which my father fought for, during the Independence struggle.
That’s my
piece and having said all this…I would like to request all of you present
here….that henceforth ask me questions regarding….my next movie. The songs that
I have recorded. The release date of my film. The heroines cast in it. The
Toifa awards in Vancouver, because I am an actor and maybe I should just stick
to stuff that all of you expect me to have a viewpoint on. The rest of it…maybe
I don’t have the right kind of media atmosphere to comment on. So I will refrain
from it.
And
please if you can…put all I have said on your channels, or mediums
of communication, in the exact same light as I have said it and meant it in. 24
hrs of unrequired controversy is more than enough for all of us I assume. So do
not sensationalize and hence trivialize matters of national interest and
religion any further and drag a movie actor in the middle of it all…and let me
get back to doing what I do best….making movies.
Shah Rukh
Khan
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