Aamir Khan meeting Turkish first lady may cause backlash in India because Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan openly supports Pakistan on Kashmir
Agencies
NEW DELHI: In an event which won’t make for good optics during these surcharged atmosphere in India, Bollywood super star Aamir Khan met Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan in Istanbul on Saturday.
India-Turkey relations are currently at the lowest ebb as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has come out openly in support of Pakistan in condemning the Indian action to abolish Article 370 in Kashmir.
India has also put under scanner various Islamic organizations in Kashmir and Kerala that receive funding from Turkey, fearing that Turkey is trying to promote radicalization in India.
The Turkish first lady hosted Aamir Khan at the presidential residence at the Huber Mansion in Istanbul.
The Bollywood super star is in Turkey to shoot parts of his film Laal Singh Chaddha which was stopped in India after the corona outbreak. The remaining portion of Laal Singh Chaddha, which is an adaption of the 1994 classic film Forrest Gump, will be completed on Turkish locations.
Reports say Aamir had requested the meeting to raise awareness about his non-profit Paani Foundation which works on drought prevention and watershed management in Maharashtra. The Turkish first lady praised the actor for his humanitarian work.
Aamir’s wife Kiran Rao is familiar with Turkish culture as she has spent some time staying in Turkey.
According to Turkey’s Anadolu Agency, the first lady and Aamir Khan discussed the rich historical texture of food culture and handicrafts of the two countries. Khan also shared memories of how he came to the cinema under the influence of his Muslim mother.
Turkey’s first lady also tweeted pictures of the meeting, saying, “I had the great pleasure of meeting @aamir_khan, the world-renowned Indian actor, filmmaker, and director, in Istanbul. I was happy to learn that Aamir decided to wrap up the shooting of his latest movie ‘Laal Singh Chaddha’ in different parts of Turkey. I look forward to it!”
Aamir’s critics will see the meeting in the context of the current relationship between the two countries and his remarks in 2015 when the Bollywood actor and his wife Kiran Rao had said they didn’t feel secure in India and should leave the country, creating a storm of protests against them.
