C OVER STORY
My Name is Khan, and I am
not a traitor: the irony
of being Aamir
I
t's been pretty good to be Aamir Khan, one imagines,
for the past 15 years. Blockbuster movies. Serious respect in the industry. A few hundred crores at the box
office. Awards. A hyper-influential TV series. And then
he did something he wasn't meant to do. He questioned
something about the country that 'gave him so much'.
That broke India's bargain with Aamir. He isn't meant
to feel anything for this country other than a halo. He
cannot feel anger or hopelessness or despondency. He
cannot call out its faults - real or perceived. He cannot
have a human moment - again, real or exaggerated - in
his own home, and share it with the world.Above all, he
certainly cannot do this if his last name is Khan.
It wasn't black and white, this reaction to Aamir's statement at the Ram Nath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards. The outrage was varied. Some questioned
his patriotism. Some his privilege. Others his motivation.
Some believed he had an idiotic moment. O \