May 14, 2025: Within hours of the trailer for Aamir Khan’s upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par dropping on YouTube, a boycott campaign began to gain momentum across the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The hashtag #BoycottSitaareZameenPar quickly started trending, igniting debate around the actor’s past and the film’s timing amidst rising geopolitical tensions.
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Sitaare Zameen Par, which is being described as a spiritual successor to the 2007 critically acclaimed Taare Zameen Par, features Aamir Khan as a basketball coach tasked with training a team of intellectually disabled players. The film is being hailed in many quarters for its heartwarming message of inclusion and for spotlighting neurodiversity, much like its predecessor. However, the controversy surrounding it has diverted attention from its social message.
Why the Boycott?
Critics of the film online have resurfaced photos of Aamir Khan meeting Turkey’s First Lady Emine Erdogan in 2020, during his visit to the country to shoot portions of Laal Singh Chaddha. At the time, the meeting had sparked backlash due to Turkey’s perceived alignment with Pakistan on sensitive geopolitical issues.
The boycott campaign has been fueled by renewed tensions between India and Pakistan, especially after India’s recent Operation Sindoor — a retaliatory strike against terror camps in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) following the Pahalgam massacre on April 22, where 26 Indian tourists lost their lives. Turkey’s continued diplomatic support of Pakistan has not sat well with Indian citizens, many of whom are also calling for a boycott of Turkish Airlines.
This geopolitical anger has now extended to Aamir Khan, with many accusing the actor of being “tone-deaf” or politically insensitive by previously engaging with Turkish leadership, even if the visit occurred years ago.
Mixed Reactions
Despite the controversy, Sitaare Zameen Par continues to receive praise from fans and film critics alike, who applaud Khan’s decision to focus on intellectual disabilities — a topic rarely portrayed in mainstream Indian cinema.
“While some are busy trending boycott hashtags, others are watching the trailer with tears in their eyes. It’s sad how every well-intentioned film is now politicized,” commented a user on X.
With Sitaare Zameen Par scheduled for release soon, it remains to be seen whether the boycott calls will affect the film’s box office performance, or if audiences will ultimately separate the art from the politics surrounding its star.