I’ve just read an incredible piece of news on masala.com, and this piece of news has been taken up again and again by other blogs.
Shahrukh Khan, the Great Shahrukh, King Khan, the Star with a capital S like Shahrukh, has been booked for insulting the Indian flag.
Is anything wrong?
Look at the photo on the left: Shahrukh is very excited because India has just won the Cricket World Cup 2011. In a sense of euphoria, the actor gets up out of the car, he unfolds an Indian flag and starts to wave it before an enthousiastic crowd!
But look at it carefully! It is like a spot the difference game: in exaltation, SK hasn’t realised he is holding the flag the wrong way. It is upside down; saffron coulour must be at the top and green at the bottom. Damn!
Social worker Ravindra Brahme, -I don’t dare to publish such a joly face on my blog, so, I invite you to go there- saw red when he noticed this exceedingly-really-very shocking video on the Internet! Bingo! On the 14th of August, the day before Independence Day, Mr Brahme rushed to lodge a complaint against SK for disrespect of the Indian flag.
Can you imagine? 60 years ago, Shahrukh Khan’s father was forbidden to go to Pakistan after the Partition because he had supported Gandhi’s ally Badshash Khan during his struggle for Independence, (Dixit Wikipedia). The actor himself has been doing his best for twenty years to promote India and Indian cinema ( and himself, of course, this man is quite career-oriented); he has acted in films such as Swades, The Indian Family or Chak De! India… He is internationally considered as the best son-in-law by every woman and has been elected Indian role model in a national newspaper; he has tacitly been an example of religiously-mixed marriage by marrying a Hindu woman, he raises his children in a kind of ecumenical respect, and now, he is bothered with a stupid story of upside-down flag!
But by the way, maybe you didn’t know that Ravindra Brahme had already lodged a complaint of the same kind against
Brigitte Bardot (1967)
model Gehna Vashist who had used Tricolour as a pareo. This reminds me of this old photo showing actress Brigitte Bardot wrapped in the French flag.
I can understand that a naked woman in a flag could shock some people – Indian citizens’ sensitivity and patriotism is well-known-, in addition, Gehna Vashist’s photos were rather vulgar and provocative. But, I’m still doubtful about the necessity of beating her up, if I may!
To return to Shahrukh Khan’s case, does a guy who waves a flag the wrong way during an after-match fiesta really deserve to be prosecuted?
Brave Ravindra’s indisputable argument is this one: SK is a role model and an iconic figure for the youth in the country and he should act with responsiblility.
Oh, please, Ravindra, give me a break! That is exactly in your country where some young people have serious problems, that you, oh wise and friendly social worker, should act instead of going searching through the web to check if actor Thingy ate with his right hand or if model What-her-name took off her shoes before going home! Bad boy! Bad Ravindra! Trying to become famous by using celebrities’ little mistakes is very very very naughty!
As far as Sharukh Khan is concerned, it is not the first time he has been the victim of that sort of trouble! I even should say he has been accumulating the complaints, and some journalists don’t hesitate to overdo it, especially since the news about his cinema projects is currently slowing down. After being accused of smoking in public during a cricket match plus this infamous altercation with the security staff at the Mumbai Stadium because SK wanted to meet his team, the Kolkata Knight Riders, do you really want to know what I would say to our dear King Khan if I met him right now? QUIT CRICKET!
Eh! You moron with you whistle ! Don’t you know who I am?
Message to India
A Message To India 