Aamir Khan praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s radio programme Mann Ki Baat on Wednesday on the sidelines of the National Conclave on Mann Ki Baat @100.
The one-day conclave was held ahead of the 100th episode of the PM’s radio programme to be broadcast on April 30. The event was inaugurated by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur served as the guest of honour.
Labeling the programme as an example of “leading by communication”, Aamir said, “It’s a very important piece of communication that the leader of the country does with the people, discussing important issues, putting forward thoughts and giving suggestions.”
“That is how you lead by communication. You tell your people what you’re looking at, how you’re seeing the future, how you want your support in that. (It’s an) important communication that happens in Mann Ki Baat,” he added.
Asked if Modi only talks about his “mann ki baat” (what he wants to talk about) in the radio programme, the Bollywood star said, “I think it’s his prerogative because he’s doing it… It is his method of hearing what the people have to say connecting with people across the country. I think it’s a very important initiative.”
Aamir has had frequent tiffs with Narendra Modi before 2014 when BJP came to power in the centre. He had criticized him in 2006 for the 2002 Gujarat riots and said that Modi, the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, did not take the situation under control, which resulted in the loss of several innocent lives, whether Hindu or Muslim. This led to his film Fanaa being “unofficially” banned in Gujarat, where Modi was in power. When Aamir voiced against the Narmada Dam construction his film Taare Zameen Par (2007) also faced protests in Gujarat.
Aamir’s last release Laal Singh Chaddha faced boycott calls on Twitter after an interview of Aamir from 2015 resurfaced on social media. In the interview, Aamir can be seen saying his then-wife Kiran Rao is suggesting shifting countries because of growing intolerance in India. The film didn’t fare well at the box office.
