Shah Rukh Khan defends smoking scene in `Don`

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has defended his smoking scene in his forthcoming film Don .

Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss has voiced his displeasure over smoking scenes featuring SRK in the Farhan Akhtar directed venture.

Talking about the Union Health Minister taking objection to scenes showing the star smoking a cigarette in the film, SRK said, "I will not go to the extent of saying that smoking is artistic in cinema and that is why we are having this problem. However, the larger issue involved here is today it is smoking in films, tomorrow what?"

"I truly believe that Indian masses are literate enough to know that there is no more a Humphrey Bogart kind of smoking that one would start smoking as an actor does. Also, for most of them, it is a very small issue."

"I feel that the powers that be should look at bigger health issues than smoking in films," SRK said in an interview to a TV channel this week.

To the argument by the authorities that smoking scenes be banned as cigarettes are injurious to health, SRK said, "I'd like to appeal to any authority that if smoking is bad, do not permit production of cigarettes in the country. My logic is you are not stopping it despite telling that it’s harmful just because it gives a revenue to the Government. Then don't stop my revenue. After all, I am an actor and am supposed to do a job and get revenue from it."

SRK recently opposed the proposal of branding a film with smoking scenes under the category of 'A' by the Censor Board.

The hullabaloo over smoking scenes in 'Don' notwithstanding, the film has been granted a UA certificate by the Censor Board.

However, trade sources said the version shown to the board had the cigarette smoking scene of SRK pruned. In any case, the sources said the 'UA' certificate was due to the film having a lot of violence and not any other reason.

Source: Apunkachoice