Fans defend Aamir as boycott calls grow for 'Sitaare Zameen Par'

Aamir Khan’s upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par, which is set to release soon, has found itself at the centre of an online storm. Despite receiving praise for casting actors with disabilities and telling a heartwarming story, the film is being targeted by boycott trends on social media. Many users are calling to avoid the film, accusing Aamir of being “anti-national”  a charge that has now become common against several celebrities who do not toe the political line.

The backlash seems to



have two major triggers. One is Aamir Khan’s supposed “delayed” response to Operation Sindoor, a recent military strike by the Indian Army against terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The second reason is a resurfaced video from a 2020 visit to Turkey, where Aamir met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s wife. The meeting, which took place during the shoot of Laal Singh Chaddha, had drawn criticism even back then because Erdoğan is seen by many as a controversial and conservative leader.