Indian social media space has turned into a battleground over the ongoing farmers' protests happening in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Several Bollywood celebs like Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Karan Johar, Ekta Kapoor have stood by the government over its stance on Rihanna and social activist Greta Thurberg tweets criticising how the Modi government is tackling the protests. They have been accused of pandering to the higher powers, while other superstars like the three Khans - Shah Rukh, Salman and Aamir - are silent. Farmers’ Protest: Netizens Slam Akshay Kumar, Karan Johar, Ajay Devgn And Others’ ‘India Together’ Tweets.

However, some of these superstars were not so silent in a less critical environment when it comes to addressing farmers' problems. An old video of Shah Rukh Khan from an event is going viral, when he called farmers the 'real heroes'.

Watch the clip below:

The clip is taken from a video covering the Satyamev Jayate Water Cup 2017, which was held at Pune's Balewadi stadium on August 6, 2017. While it was Aamir Khan who had organised the event, Shah Rukh Khan came in as a special guest to support his friend and offer several kind words of encouragement and praise for the agricultural warriors. Before Salman Khan, 8 More Pics of Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan and Other Bollywood Stars Paying ‘Respect to All Farmers’ by Rolling in the Mud!

Speaking in Hindi, he hailed the farmers present during the event. Speaking on drought eradication, he had said, "If you farmer brothers and sisters had not contributed your efforts to make this idea a reality, it would never have taken off the way it has. I also appreciate the efforts that you make in growing grain, but sometimes God or Allah or nature does not grant you the thing that you need most, which is ample rainfall. But today you have proved that you can raise a crop of water itself. Moreover, you have come together despite being of various castes, creeds and beliefs, thus proving that India is united.”

Watch the whole video below:

In 2015, Shah Rukh Khan had also reacted strongly when a farmer died by suicide during an AAP rally. He had tweeted, "'Nobody kills themselves 2 end their life, they do so 2 end the pain.”' Take a moment,feel the pain not look for gain & stop the blame game!"

Check out his tweet below:

It is not just Shah Rukh Khan. Even Akshay Kumar, now accused of taking sides with BJP government over the protesting farmers, had been more vocal in addressing the problems of the farmers a couple of years back. Akshay Kumar’s Old Video Dissing ‘Money-Wasting’ Hindu Rituals Go Viral; Twitterati Calls Out Superstar’s Double-Standards After His Recent Plea for Ram Mandir Donation Drive.

While Bollywood is completely divided over the farmers' laws protests, fans of the Khans are now praying that they don't speak at all and bring attract more controversies towards themselves.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 05, 2021 11:33 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).