Aamir Khan REACTS To ‘Love Jihad' Claims Against Him: ‘My Sisters And Daughter Married Hindus'

News18

8 hours ago

Aamir Khan responds to 'love jihad' and anti-religion claims, saying his sisters and daughter married Hindus. 'This is humanity, not agenda,' the actor asserts.
Aamir Khan has finally addressed the lingering criticism around his 2014 film PK, pushing back strongly against claims that the film was anti-religious or promoted 'love jihad." In a candid interview with India TV, the actor defended the film's intention and tackled the renewed backlash that has resurfaced nearly a decade after its release.
Dismissing accusations that PK mocked religion, Aamir said, 'They're wrong. We're not against any religion. We respect all religions and all religious people. The film just tells us to be cautious of those who exploit religion to fool the common man and extract money from them. You'll find people like that in every religion."
The Rajkumar Hirani-directed satire, which stars Anushka Sharma and the late Sushant Singh Rajput alongside Aamir, had stirred controversy for its depiction of religious dogma and its interfaith love story. The subplot—featuring a Hindu woman in love with a Pakistani Muslim man—led to some critics accusing the film of promoting 'love jihad," a term often used by right-wing groups to allege a hidden agenda of religious conversion through romantic relationships.
Aamir rejected the narrative outright: 'When people from two religions, particularly Hindu and Muslim, fall in love and get married, that's not always love jihad. This is just humanity. It's above religion."
He went on to highlight that even within his own family, interfaith relationships are the norm rather than the exception. 'My sisters and daughter are married to Hindu men. Will you call that love jihad too?" he questioned. His sister Farhat is married to Rajeev Dutta, Nikhat to Santosh Hegde, and his daughter Ira Khan recently tied the knot with Nupur Shikhare.
Touching on a separate point often raised by trolls—his children's names—Aamir responded with clarity and grace. 'My kids have been named by my wives. There wasn't any interference from my end. Husbands ki zyada chalti nahi hai," he quipped. He revealed that Ira's name was chosen from Maneka Gandhi's Penguin Book of Hindu Names, while Azad was named after Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, India's first Education Minister and a prominent freedom fighter.
As the conversation turned toward his upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par, Aamir reminded audiences that his patriotism has always been reflected in his body of work. 'Watch Rang De Basanti, Lagaan, Sarfarosh. I don't think any actor has done more patriotic films than I have."
PK may have stirred debate when it was released, but a decade later, Aamir Khan remains firm in his stance—telling stories that challenge, question, and, above all, reflect the complexities of human nature and society.
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