To,
Mr Kabir Khan
Director – Ek tha Tiger, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Phantom, and others
Dear Mr Khan,
The problem with you sir is that you make sense. And you had the temerity to assume that everyone else will either comprehend that, or at least be civil when they disagree.
A naïve assumption, if you don’t mind my saying so.
This morning my colleagues and I watched a video of an argument you had with a journalist during a press conference promoting Phantom.
Like everyone else, all I know about the film is what I could gather from the trailer. A James Bond-esque Saif Ali Khan is trying to assassinate known masterminds of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
The film looks cool, edgy and almost definitely political. What did you expect? Rational questions?
One journalist asked Saif Ali Khan how he felt about doing an anti-Pakistan film. And you jumped in. Then you made the mistake of acknowledging that extremists on both sides, India and Pakistan, make people-to-people contact difficult.
Consistently, you have addressed the hypocrisy and agendas of governments and the way they deal with terrorism. And you managed to do it in mainstream films in the past with big stars like Salman Khan.
I remember the scene in Ek tha Tiger when the RAW and ISI agents meet, in identical vehicles with identical suits on – mirror images of each other. To me, it was symbolic of certain elements in both countries.
“Both countries!”
That’s what got that exceedingly rude ‘journalist’ riled up. In a brilliant display of ‘listening and thinking before opening his trap’ (NOT) this gentlemen heard terrorists when you said extremists.
“WHO ARE THE TERRORISTS IN INDIA? NAME THEM!”
Yes, it was an exclamation, not a question. The way you handled it is admirable. And I would like to thank you for that. Balanced, rational but firm voices are in short supply and I am glad you stuck to your guns.
But mostly, I would like to apologise. I work in the media and the gentleman who attacked you belongs to the same fraternity as me. I hope stray voices like his does not silence yours.
Sincerely,
Aakash Joshi
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)