In a recent interview, Aamir Khan addressed ongoing backlash regarding his 2014 hit PK. The film, directed by Rajkumar Hirani, has faced criticism for allegedly mocking religion and promoting “love jihad.” Aamir strongly denied these allegations and clarified the film’s real intent.
“They’re wrong. We’re not against any religion. We respect all religions and all religious people,” Aamir stated. “That film just tells us to be cautious of those who exploit religion to fool the common man in order to extract money from them. You’ll find people like that in every religion. That was the film’s only purpose.”
‘This Is Humanity, Not Love Jihad’: Aamir Khan On Interfaith Marriage
Aamir responded to criticism over a scene in PK showing a Hindu woman (Anushka Sharma) falling in love with a Pakistani Muslim man (Sushant Singh Rajput). He dismissed the “love jihad” narrative, saying, “When people from two religions fall in love and get married, that’s not always love jihad. This is just humanity. It’s above religion.”
He emphasized his own family’s diversity, noting his two Hindu wives—Reena Dutta and Kiran Rao—and how his sisters and daughter have also married Hindu men. “My sisters and daughter have married Hindus. Is that love jihad too?” he asked.
When questioned why his children have Muslim names, Aamir responded, “My kids have been named by my wives. There wasn’t any interference from my end. Husbands ki zyada chalti nahi hai.” He added, “Ira is another name for (goddess) Saraswati… Reena named her that.” He said Kiran named their son Azad after freedom fighter Maulana Azad. “Azad isn’t a Muslim name… Haven’t you heard of Chandrashekhar Azad?”
A Proud Muslim, A Proud Indian
Aamir stressed that he is proud to be both Muslim and Indian. “I’m very proud I’m a Muslim. I’m also proud I’m a Hindustani. Both of these statements are true,” he said. He added that the trolling he receives from all sides proves he’s doing the right thing.
Citing his work in Satyamev Jayate and Secret Superstar, Aamir pointed out that his efforts have always aimed to address social issues beyond religious lines. “There’s nothing like that (bias)… Secret Superstar was about a Muslim family, but it tackled issues that affect everyone.”
