Pathaan is also very patriotic, says Shah Rukh Khan amid boycott calls

Facing political heat for the song Besharam Rang from his upcoming film Pathaan, Shah Rukh Khan on Saturday appeared unfazed as he hosted an Ask Me Anything session on Twitter. The questions ranged from picking his favourite Stanley Kubrick film (of course, it's A Clockwork Orange) to who's he supporting in tomorrow's Fifa World Cup Finals ("Arre yaar the heart says Messi no?? But Mbappe is a treat to watch also").

One reply, however, seemed to speak to the current brouhaha around Pathaan. Responding to a now- deleted tweet, SRK wrote, "#Pathaan is also very patriotic..but in an action way."

With his trademark wit, he replied in another tweet that his AMA sessions are of 15 minutes because 'everyone needs fifteen minutes of fame...' The actor, while speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival on Thursday, had said narratives in recent times have often been shaped by social media, which is driven by a 'narrowness of views' that limits human nature to its baser self.

Pathaan, co-starring Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, is a spy thriller releasing on January 25, 2023. 

The film has waded into controversy over the orange bikini worn by Deepika in Besharam Rang, which right-wing groups have found 'objectionable'. A boycott campaign is currently raging against the film following comments by BJP leaders.