Aamir Khan has stirred controversy with his recent remarks on Swades, the acclaimed 2004 film starring Shah Rukh Khan and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. In a candid interview with Zoom, the Lagaan actor revealed that he had initially rejected the film because he found the script “very boring.” The internet, however, hasn’t taken his comment lightly — especially SRK fans, who have lauded Swades as one of Indian cinema’s most important films.

Aamir recalled that Gowariker had pitched the idea to him while they were working together on Lagaan, saying, “I found it very boring! I had said this to Ashu when he narrated the whole story to me. In fact, I’ll tell you, Ashu narrated the story to me when we were making Lagaan. It was titled Kaveri Amma then.”

The actor’s blunt take on the film sparked immediate backlash online. One fan wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “This portion of a song from Swades has more message than the entire filmography of Aamir.” Another user commented, “Actually true. If Aamir had done Swades, it would have been boring and no one would have remembered this film. It’s Shah Rukh Khan’s remarkable performance that made this a cult classic.”

Some netizens went as far as wishing failure upon Aamir’s upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par. “I’ll be very happy when Sitaare Zameen Par flops. This guy has crossed all limits to demean SRK, despite SRK supporting his son’s debut,” wrote another user.

Many argued that it was Shah Rukh’s restrained performance and emotive expressions that gave life to the character of Mohan Bhargava, an NRI scientist who returns to rural India. “Swades aged better than Lagaan and is still relevant after 20 years,” said a fan.

Directed by Ashutosh Gowariker, Swades won two National Awards and has earned cult status over the years. As the debate continues, Aamir is gearing up for the release of Sitaare Zameen Par, directed by RS Prasanna, slated to hit theatres on June 20.