Celebrated actor Aamir Khan's views should be heard and debated, veteran award winning director Saeed Mirza said on Tuesday, while also objecting to the host of charges being levelled against the popular actor for his comments on "a sense of growing disquiet" in India.
"Look, you have points of view. Let them be heard. I heard about the statement of Aamir Khan this morning. In fact, I read about it. He has a point of view, let it be heard. We can debate it," Mirza told IANS on the sidelines of a parallel student's film festival organised by the students of the Film and Television Institute of India here.
Mirza, an alumnus of the FTII, has also directed critically appreciated films like "Ghashiram Kotwal", "Albert Pinto Ko Gussa KyOon Aata Hai" as well as the tele-serial "Nukkad".
The filmmaker was reacting to a comment made by Aamir during an interview on Monday, where he said: "Kiran (Khan's wife) and I have lived all our lives in India. For the first time, she said, 'Should we move out of India?' That's a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make to me. She fears for her child. She fears about what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers everyday. That does indicate that there is a sense of growing disquiet".
The comment followed outrage on social media well as from sympathisers of the ruling National Democratic Alliance government, who have attacked the actor-producer for his comment, something Mirza takes objection to.
"But you can't have a statement being made and charges being levelled against a person who has made that statement," Mirza said.