‘SRK called me at 2 am’ — Assam CM says he will ‘ensure law & order’ before Pathaan’s release

‘Who is SRK,’ shot back Himanta Sarma Saturday when he was asked about protests against the movie in his state. A day later, he promised to ensure film was released smoothly.

Shahrukh Khan and Himanta Biswa Sarma | Photos: Wikipedia

New Delhi: A day after he demanded to know who Shahrukh Khan was, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he had received calls from the actor in the early hours of Sunday voicing concerns about the protest against his upcoming move Pathaan.  

The movie, which is set to release on 25 January, has been facing protests from the Bajrang Dal in Assam — the latest of the film’s troubles.   

In a tweet Sunday, Sarma wrote that the actor had called him at 2 am about expressing concern about the protests that took place at a screening of the film in Guwahati Friday.

“Bollywood actor Shri @iamsrk called me and we talked today morning at 2 am. He expressed concern about an incident in Guwahati during screening of his film. I assured him that it’s duty of state govt to maintain law & order. We’ll enquire and ensure no such untoward incidents,” Sarma tweeted.

After he was asked Saturday about the violent protest during which Bajrang Dal workers tore and burned down film posters, Sarma said: “Who is Shahrukh Khan? I don’t know anything about him or HIS film Pathaan”. ”Khan has not called me, though many from Bollywood do so, regarding the problem. But if he does, I will look into the matter. Action will be taken if law and order has been violated and a case has been filed.” 

Unending troubles

The development comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi advised Bharatiya Janata Party leaders to refrain from making “any unnecessary remarks” on films at the party’s national executive meeting held on 16 and 17 January.

Pathaan is the latest in a series of Bollywood films to face protests and demands of the boycott. 

The controversy began in December with the movie’s song, Besharam Rang. Hindutva outfits claimed a sequence in the song, which has actress Deepika Padukone wearing a saffron bikini, “hurt Hindu sentiments” and began to demand a ban. 

Soon, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra and several leaders of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad joined the chorus demanding a ban on the movie.

Pathaan, directed by Siddharth Anand, stars Shahrukh Khan as a Research And Analysis Wing agent thwarting an “anti-India” plot. Besides Khan and Padukone, it also features actor John Abraham. 

(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)