Is Aamir performing 'puja' an attempt to appease Hindu cine-goers?

Netizens are of the view that after his recent movie 'Laal Singh Chaddha' bumped at the box office, the actor has resorted to such tactics for an image makeover.

New Delhi, Dec 09: Several photos of Bollywood actor Aamir Khan performing a Hindu ritual along with his ex-wife Kiran Rao have caught the attention of the netizens. In the pictures, he is seen holding a 'kalash' topped with a coconut and taking part in a 'puja' and performing 'arti'. The photos were shared by Advait Chandan, the director of 'Laal Singh Chaddha', on his Instagram account. The snaps were taken at the opening ceremony of the new office of Aamir Khan Productions.

The photos have raised many eyebrows and attracted cryptic comments as the actor had earlier enraged the Hindus by questioning their beliefs in his movie "PK". In fact, there was a scene in the film which mocks at a ritual similar to the one he is performing in the pictures (a student praying to the god by breaking a coconut in order to clear exams).

Although the movie was successful at the box office, the Hindus could not digest the fact that he insulted their many beliefs and their rituals, especially when he had never taken courage to speak about the radicalisation of his own religion Islam. Even in his TV show 'Satyameva Jayate', where he had spoken about many issues bothering the society, he had ignored expressing his views on issues like Triple Talaq or polygamy practised by Indian Muslims.

Though his latest gesture has been welcomed, netizens have at the same time raised several questions over this "sudden show of magnanimity" by the actor. And the most common question being hurled at him is: Is the public display of his affection towards the Hindu religion an attempt to refurbish his image by wooing the Hindus who are quite upset with some of his actions in the last one decade?

Anti-India comment

In 2015, he had sparked off a controversy when he said that Kiran (then wife) feared staying in the country due to growing "intolerance". "As an individual, as part of this country as a citizen, we read in the papers what is happening, we see it on the news and certainly, I have been alarmed. I can't deny. I have been alarmed by a number of incidents," PTI quoted him as saying at the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards.

"When I sit at home and talk to Kiran, she says 'Should we move out of India?' That's a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make. She fears for her child. She fears about what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers every day. That does indicate that there is this sense of growing disquiet, there is growing despondency apart from alarm. You feel why this is happening, you feel low. That sense does exist in me," Khan had said.

Taking potshots at politicians, he said, "...People who are our elected representatives, people who we select to look after us for five years, state or Centre... when people take law into their hands, we look upon these people to take a strong stance, to make a strong statement, speed up the legal process, when we see that happening there is a sense of security but when we don't see that happening there is a sense of insecurity."

He had also extended support to the 'award wapsi' movement. "A number of creative people - historians, scientists - increasingly had a certain feeling in them, which they felt they needed to express. For creative people, one of the ways of expressing their dissatisfaction or their disappointment is to return their awards. I think that's one way of getting your point across," he said. He said that "all individuals have a right to protest and they can protest in any manner that they feel is right as long as they are not taking the law into their hands."

His comments were clearly aimed at the Narendra Modi-led BJP government over communal incidents, but was he right in saying that they feared staying in the country especially when the stars stay in well-secured bungalows with scores of men around them for their security? Further, did not they get insecure when there were several terrorist attacks in Mumbai and other parts of the country?

The Turkey incident

The next incident that anguished the large section of Indians was when he met Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan in 2020. Turkey has been supporting Pakistan over the Kashmir issue and was critical about the scrapping of Article 370. Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had said that he would support Pakistan's stand on the Kashmir issue.

Was Aamir Khan ignorant about the fact that the country he was visiting had taken a pro-Pakistan stand over the Kashmir issue, especially when he was vocal about societal issues in the country? Well, these incidents have done immense damage to his image and finances as well.

Box office failure of recent film

Aamir Khan's recent movie 'Laal Singh Chaddha' turned out to be a dud at the box office and became one of the biggest flops of his career. According to a report, the movie made a net business of mere Rs 58.73 crore, which is far lesser than what a small Kannada movie 'Kantara' has made in the Hindi market. This must have forced him to shelve all his future plans till an opportune time.

Hence, netizens have expressed doubts over his "sudden change of heart" and asked if his latest act of performing Hindu rituals is just a drama to appease the Hindu cine-goers so as to make his future ventures successful?