Aamir Khan resumes Dangal shooting, villagers say no compromise on hospitality

Aamir Khan, who had taken a break after an injury, has been shooting in the state since the last two months. Unfazed by the controversy, villagers said that Aamir’s remarks will have least repercussions during his stay in rural Punjab. “It was Jee Aayan nu (big welcome) earlier and it will be the same now. We have never let his religion come in way of Punjabi hospitality. Because that is what Punjab is all about,” said a villager from Gujjarwal.

“For us it never even crossed our minds that Aamir Khan is a Muslim. Even now, it is nowhere. Today, he is in Ludhiana again and nothing will change for us. We don’t know what this controversy is about and why so. We put in all efforts to make him feel at home,” said Harjeet Singh.

Aamir Khan’s wife Kiran Rao with locals in Punjab. (Source: Express Photo by Divya Goyal)

“Even before Aamir Khan arrived in Punjab, his teams were working in our village and giving it Haryanvi makeover. The entire village cooperated with them. We regularly served langar (food) to their workers and helped them in work. All shopkeepers obeyed to whatever they said, the kind of changes they wanted in our furniture, outlook, hoardings, language etc. It is a privilege for us that they selected our village,” said Harchet Singh, a cobbler from Gujjarwal.

Also read: Aamir Khan spoke as a citizen, not a Muslim

People recalled how Aamir’s wife Kiran Rao enjoyed the sumptuous sarson ka saag and makki ki roti with barfi earlier. “Kiran ji loved our Punjabi food. She has even promised that she will bring Aamir ji to our home during next schedule. The day she visited it was a random visit and we were not able to prepare homemade fresh butter. When Aamir comes, my wife will prepare butter too,” said Kukku Fauji, in Gujjarwal village.