Jackie Shroff weighs in on India vs. Bharat: Names may change, we stay the same

The social media sphere has been abuzz since yesterday, with discussions revolving around the India vs. Bharat renaming debate.  For the unversed, the G20 invitation bore the signature of the 'President of Bharat' instead of the customary 'President of India.' This development ignited conversations on social media regarding the prospect of renaming the nation. 

Now, Bollywood veteran Jackie Shroff has added his perspective to the dialogue.

Jackie Shroff participated in the Planet India campaign in New Delhi recently. During a media interaction, he was asked to share his thoughts on the buzz surrounding the possible renaming of India to Bharat. 

In response, Jackie conveyed that our country was formerly known as Bharat, and it's not a negative development if it is referred to as Bharat once again. He drew a parallel with his own experience, where people often use various nicknames for him, but it doesn't change who he is.

"Agar aapko Bharat ko Bharat bolna hai, toh koi buri baat toh nahi hai. Bharat hi bolenge Bharat ko na? Chalo, India hai to India hai, Bharat hai to Bharat hai. Mera naam Jackie hai, mujhe koi Jockey bolta hai, koi Jaki bolta hai. Mere naam ko itna tod dete hain. Par main nahi badlunga. Hum kaise badlenge? Naam badlenge, hum thodi badlenge (There's nothing wrong if Bharat is being called Bharat. My name is Jackie, but some call me Jockey, many call me Jaki. People often distort my name. But I haven't changed. How will we change? The name might change, not us)," expressed Jackie Shroff.

The video capturing Jackie Shroff's response to the India vs. Bharat debate was shared by ANI on Twitter and garnered considerable attention.

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Previously, Amitabh Bachchan too echoes his say in the India vs Bharat debate. The India vs. Bharat discussion has arisen ahead of a special session of the Parliament, sparking curiosity about the agenda that awaits deliberation.

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