The trailer for Aamir Khan’s upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par was unveiled on Tuesday evening, marking the actor’s return to cinema after a three-year hiatus. While the moment was intended to celebrate Khan’s distinctive filmmaking style, it quickly became embroiled in controversy. The issue stemmed from a post shared by his production company on the same day, belatedly acknowledging and praising the Indian armed forces for Operation Sindoor—a military retaliation against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack.
Aamir Khan Productions posted a note on Instagram saluting the armed forces and the Prime Minister for their leadership and bravery. “Saluting the heroes of Operation Sindoor. Heartfelt gratitude to our armed forces for their courage, bravery, and unwavering commitment to the security of our nation. Thank you to the Hon’ble Prime Minister for his leadership and resolve,” the note read, ending with “Jai Hind.”
Since Aamir Khan is no longer active on social media, such messages are typically shared by his production house. While some viewers welcomed the acknowledgment, many online users criticized the timing, suggesting it was strategically aligned with the trailer release. Critics accused Khan of maintaining silence throughout the military operation, only to break it in conjunction with his film’s promotion.
By Thursday morning, the hashtag #BoycottAamirKhan was trending on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). One post read, “This 🐍 broke his ‘maun vrat’ to promote his movie #SitareZameenPar,” while another alleged, “He stayed silent until now, but posted yesterday because the trailer was due today.” Others were more severe, accusing him of lacking patriotism, with one user writing, “He felt unsafe in India, didn’t support the Army after 26 Hindus were killed. Not one post until now. #BoycottAamirKhan.” Another shared a poster of the film and added, “#NeverForget. Time to teach him a lesson! #BoycottTurkey #BoycottAamirKhan.”
About Sitaare Zameen Par
Directed by RS Prasanna, Sitaare Zameen Par is described as a spiritual successor to Aamir Khan’s 2007 acclaimed film Taare Zameen Par. The film is produced under Aamir Khan Productions and features ten debut actors: Aroush Datta, Gopi Krishna Varma, Samvit Desai, Vedant Sharma, Ayush Bhansali, Ashish Pendse, Rishi Shahani, Rishabh Jain, Naman Mishra, and Simran Mangeshkar. The screenplay is written by Divy Nidhi Sharma. Aamir Khan stars as a basketball coach guiding a team of intellectually disabled individuals, with Genelia D’Souza also in a key role. The film is scheduled for release on June 20.
