Kabir Khan reacts to trolls asking him to go Pakistan.

Popular filmmaker Kabir Khan opened up on patriotism and nationalism in cinema in his recent interview. ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ director talked about people who troll him and ask him to go to Pakistan.

Kabir Khan said that he feels bad when people criticise him on social media, he thinks these platforms have given liberty to trolls to say anything they want. While speaking at the ABP summit, the director said, “One couldn’t say to you in person about what they felt ten years ago out of respect and love but today there is no responsibility of owning your own words. It does feel bad. But that is the reality we are living in.”

He mentioned that he had realised the toxicity or negative is more as compared to positivity on social media. “My name is Khan and (hence I am told) ‘Go to Pakistan’. And I have been to Pakistan once and Lashkar (a terrorist outfit) said to go back to India, so I am neither here nor there. If you show stories, then it evokes every kind of emotion and it is okay,” he said

While speaking about patriotism and nationalism, he said that every director/filmmaker should have their own reflections. “We sometimes show tricolour in the films but today there is a difference between patriotism and nationalism,” he said.

Citing the example of his recent film 83, he said we need a counterpoint villain for nationalism but we don’t need anything like that for patriotism as it is the pure love for the country which don’t need a counterpoint.

For the unversed, 83 stars Deepika Padukone as Romi Bhatia, Kapil Dev’s wife in the film. Saqib Saleem, Harrdy Sandhu, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Ammy Virk, Jatin Sarna and other actors portray the living legends of the real Indian cricket team who lifted the trophy beating West Indies by 43 runs in the World Cup final in 1983.

By line: Divya Thearia