I have no intention of leaving India, I love India: Aamir Khan

Aamir Khan has come under fire recently for his remark that he and his wife were disheartened by growing intolerance in India, and had talked about potentially leaving India.

In an interview with Anant Goneka the actor had said: "Kiran and I have lived all our lives in India. For the first time, she said, should we move out of India? That’s a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make to me. She fears for her child."

Khan faced immense backlash after these comments, with Anupam Kher, among others, urging him to spread "hope, not fear."

The star has now come forward with a statement which clarifies his stance. According to the Indian Express, the statement says: "First let me state categorically that neither I, nor my wife Kiran, have any intention of leaving the country. We never did, and nor would we like to in the future. Anyone implying the opposite has either not seen my interview or is deliberately trying to distort what I have said. India is my country, I love it, I feel fortunate for being born here, and this is where I am staying."

But Khan also says that he stands by his previous interview.

"Secondly, I stand by everything that I have said in my interview... to all the people shouting obscenities at me for speaking my heart out, it saddens me to say you are only proving my point."

He closed his statement with a poem by Rabindranath Tagore.

Strong words from Aamir Khan — but are they enough to woo his detractors?