Deool Band 2 director hits back at backlash over Shah Rukh Khan's support for the film

The director of Deool Band 2 has publicly pushed back against criticism that followed Shah Rukh Khan's support for the Marathi film, telling detractors to 'give credit where due', The Indian Express reported. The backlash — directed at Khan's involvement or endorsement — prompted the director to defend both the film and the legitimacy of the superstar's appreciation for it.

The nature of the criticism is telling: in an era when Bollywood–regional cinema relations are frequently fraught, any high-profile Bollywood intervention in the regional space can draw suspicion. Some quarters question whether such endorsements are genuine or merely strategic, while others argue that star support, however well-intentioned, risks reducing a regional film's achievement to an extension of a Bollywood personality.

The director's response rejects that framing, implying that Khan's backing is deserved and that the film has earned its recognition. Deool Band 2 is a sequel to the acclaimed Marathi film Deool Band, and the franchise has cultivated a dedicated audience in Maharashtra.

The episode is the latest example of the cultural negotiation happening across Indian cinema as regional films assert their independence and identity even while benefiting from — and sometimes chafing against — the gravitational pull of Bollywood. How Khan's fanbase and the Marathi film audience each receive the director's statement will shape the conversation around the film's reception.