Bollywood star Aamir Khan has landed in the crosshairs of netizens for his alleged late reaction to Operation Sindoor, with calls for boycott of his upcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par rocking social media days after the movie’s trailer release.

Aamir ’s production house on May 13 shared a statement congratulating the spirit of the Indian armed forces for executing Operation Sindoor — a retaliatory offensive launched by India after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

“Saluting the heroes of Operation Sindoor. Heartfelt gratitude to our armed forces for their courage, bravery and unwavering commitment to the security of our nation. Thank you to the Hon'ble Prime Minister for his leadership and resolve. Jai Hind,” read the statement shared by Aamir Khan Productions on Instagram.

However, many netizens were quick to label the post a publicity stunt, accusing Aamir of opportunism citing the timing of the statement. The statement, they said, was shared right before the Sitaare Zameen Par trailer launch and not when Operation Sindoor destroyed terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan.

“Yeah, posting this a few hrs before the release of ur copied movie trailer !! Indians will remember this,” reads one comment under the post.

While another comment read, “DO NOT WATCH THIS anti-National’s movie. Use that money for anything that BENIFITS you/your family/your country.”

Social media users also criticised the 3 Idiots star on X. One user wrote, “Great job, #Indians. Maintain that spirit. It's time to boycott #Aamir #Khan's #Saare #TaareZameenPar, let his inflated ego come crashing down.”

Another social media user criticises Aamir Khan’s show Satyamev Jayate (2012-2014), which tackled social issues like female foeticide and caste discrimination, accusing it of portraying Indian culture as bigoted by inviting activists to discuss systemic problems.

Besides this, an old YouTube video of Aamir meeting Emine Erdogan, the First Lady of Turkey, during the promotions of his 2017 film Secret Superstar resurfaced on social media, which led netizens to call for a boycott of Sitaare Zameen Par. The video has sparked controversy since Turkey extended support to Pakistan during the conflict.

The Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor targeting Pakistan and PoK territories including Bahawalpur, a well-known Jaish-e-Mohammad stronghold, on May 7. The late-night strikes came days after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians, mostly Indian tourists.

The upcoming film, Sitaare Zameen Par, is billed as a thematic sequel to the 2007 hit Taare Zameen Par. However, actor Darsheel Safary, who starred in the original film, did not feature in the trailer of Sitaare Zameen Par.

Sitaare Zameen Par is slated to hit theatres on June 20.