Mumbai: Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan now share a warm equation, but there was a time when the two superstars made headlines for an infamous controversy.
One of the biggest flashpoints came after Aamir’s remark about Shah Rukh in a blog sparked outrage.
In that blog, Aamir wrote that Shah Rukh was licking his feet while he fed him biscuits at his Panchgani home.
The twist, however, was that he was referring to a dog named Shah Rukh that lived at the property, not actor Shah Rukh Khan.
Despite the clarification, many of Shah Rukh’s fans criticised Aamir, accusing him of mocking the superstar by using his name for a dog.
Aamir later explained that his remarks had been misunderstood.
In 2008, Aamir wrote: “I’m sitting under a tree, on the edge of a valley, approximately 5000 feet above sea level… Ammi, Ira and Junaid are by my side, and we are in the middle of one of our favourite board games. Shahrukh is licking my feet, and I am feeding him biscuits every n
ow and then. What more can I ask for?”
He added, “Now, before you jump to any conclusions, let me add that Shahrukh is the name of our dog. And before you jump to any further conclusions, let me add that I had nothing to do with naming him. In fact, Shahrukh is the dog of the caretakers of our house. When I bought this house, it came with the caretakers and their dog!”
The actor explained, “Apparently Shahrukh (the actor) was shooting for a commercial in this house a few years ago, and that very day the caretakers bought a pup and named him Shahrukh. What are the chances of me buying a house which comes with a dog called Shahrukh!!! Some of my friends claim that I bought the house because of the dog. I would have to be a serious fan of Shah Rukh’s to want to do that.”
He concluded, “Well, Shahrukh is once again begging for my attention, so let me get back to him. He is smelling too much; he needs a bath. Heel boy, heel!” Aamir’s words upset many fans who assumed that he took a subtle dig at Shah Rukh Khan. This was especially because the two actors were often pitted against one another and passed subtle jibes.
An apologetic Aamir later told the media, “I just wrote it out of humour, and if it has hurt the feelings of mine or Shah Rukh’s fans, then I apologise to all.”
Referring to Shah Rukh as a dear friend, Aamir said he has immense respect for him.
“Earlier, people used to name their children after famous people. Somebody naming a dog after a known person is a new beginning in that direction. I don’t have a copyright over this name if used non-commercially,” Shah Rukh was quoted as saying by HT.