AN OPEN LETTER TO SHAH RUKH KHAN By A Fan

Swati Rawal

Twenty years ago, you opened your arms wide,  your signature pose,  your unruly mop of hair and that mesmerizing smile I  was smitten.  Everytime you came on the wide-screen I would blush and have that silly smile on my face.

My friends especially the men would criticise you. My sons were embarrassed to see me swoon at the mention of your name. You were my superstar.  You sang for me and me alone.  You could do nothing wrong.

My meeting you face to face was perhaps one ofthe most amazing things to happen to me.

And like all good things. ..this fascination  this devotion has now come to an end.

In all my years of being your ardent fan the one thing that stood out for me was your intelligence. So today I stand here shocked and disappointed.

You too Shahrukh? ? Yes you are entitled to an opinion.  Yes you have every right as an Indian citizens  to voice whatever you feel strongly about. But....why have you been quiet till now. Enough has happened before, terrible terrible atrocities, injustices and inhumane acts , you have never stood up and spoken before. So why now? What has compelled you to feel so. How has the so called intolerance escalated in just 18 months that you have taken it upon yourself to speak out.

Explain to your million fans who have never bothered to check if you are tall enough handsome enough intelligent enough or which back ground you belong to. Tell us how our beautiful nation has made you feel that we are intolerant.

I do not endorse any of the rubbish statements by fringe elements. Let's ignore them as that's what they deserve. But I do feel if you have gone on record to say what you have you must explain yourself further. Surely you realize your words influence not just us Indians but also the opinion of others worldwide . Did you stop to think what you were doing to reputation  of our country

I waited two days for a clarification from you and when none was forthcoming I have chosen to write this on my fb page.

Today is my last day as your fan. Whether you read this or not. Whether i make a difference to you  or not. Whether you address these question or not.I feel too strongly about the unity of our country to allow you or anyone else to speak like this without explanation.

A sad ex- fan Swati Raval