Suniel Shetty defends Aamir Khan amid boycott calls for Sitaare Zameen Par: 'Turkey’s situation then and now are very different'

Ahead of the release of his upcoming historical drama Kesari Veer, actor Suniel Shetty spoke with ABP, addressing not just the film but a host of topics dominating public discourse. These included the growing boycott culture in the industry, particularly aimed at Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par, and the status of Hera Pheri 3 amidst reported tensions with co-star Paresh Rawal.

“Humesha Bollywood ke peeche pade rehte hai,” Shetty said, asserting that the film industry is often unfairly singled out. “Bollywood doesn't come forward in this. Desh ke bare mein hoga toh politicians baat karenge, desh ke hit mein hoga toh hum definitely support karenge, that’s why we even make such films.”

Addressing the backlash against Aamir Khan, reportedly over his past visit to Turkey, Shetty encouraged people to move forward. “People should forget the past. The past history does not represent today's time. Turkey’s situation then and now are very different,” he said. “What we do going forward should be our own decision, rather than judging based on the past.”

“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t”

Suniel Shetty also spoke about how celebrities often find themselves in a no-win situation: “When you go for big social gatherings, you don’t always know the people you’re posing for pictures with. In today’s time, if you don’t pose, you're called 'rude', and if you do so unknowingly, you still become a target.”

He shared personal instances where he faced such scenarios. “This has happened so many times with me—someone with a controversial background is standing next to me, and I have no idea. Hum to waise bhi dono taraf se maar hi khaate rehte hain.”




“Even legit companies turn out to be scams”

The Dhadkan actor recalled an incident where he was invited to a corporate event that later turned out to be connected to a scam. “I once attended an event hosted by a company that looked very promising. Two years later, it turned out to be a scam. It becomes extremely difficult to differentiate and judge people or organizations in such scenarios,” he explained.



Despite the growing scrutiny and unpredictable fallout of public interactions, Shetty maintained that the film industry tries to act responsibly. “We are trying to do our job. Speaking about my industry, I can say there are more India-centric individuals here than anywhere else in the world,” he said, defending the intentions of filmmakers and artists across Bollywood.


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