Celebs keep off political controversies for a reason, says Shah Rukh Khan

Mumbai: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan on Tuesday said celebrities are not scared of expressing their opinion, but if sometimes they choose to remain silent, it is not without a valid reason.

Khan was taking part in a panel discussion on "Media - Shaping the Future and Entertainment" at "Magnetic Maharashtra Convergence 2018" here.

Asked if the government should take more step to protect the freedom of artistes' expression and whether celebrities should come up with their opinion fearlessly, he stressed that actors are not afraid of speaking their mind.

Citing the recent controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat where Shri Rajput Karni Sena held violent protests demanding ban on the film, but many film stars did not express their opinion, Khan said they simply "ignored such non-constitutional people for a greater reason".

He said: "People said why are these big stars are not coming up with their opinion and hiding behind? Honestly, we don't have to hide anywhere. The simple truth is, the more prominent actors talk about them, the more popularity they (Karni Sena) would gain. The ideal action is to ignore them, not to talk about them."

He pointed out that people even said that big stars are busy making money. "But that's not true. We love the society that we are living in and we are creating entertainment for our people. We might at times not voice our opinion, because as a 52-year-old father, I want all the children and family go and watch the film in theatres, safe and sound.

"I want kids to go back home safely after watching the film, even if they dislike my film. I am more concern about the security of my son and other kids... That is the responsibility of an entertainer."

However, SRK believes that creative people will always find a way to make their film and speak their mind.

"I can vouch for many filmmakers that nobody makes films to incite people, that is never the intention. Nobody wants to hurt any sentiment of any region, religion or others. No matter what, they will say what they have to say," he said.