Asked about the films use of the phrase Jai Shri Ram, he said that when he grew up, Jai Shri Ram was a benevolent expression, "rooted in our culture", but that the words have become aggressive, and that "it bothers me to see how we are becoming increasingly intolerant." After the success of Bajrangi Bhaijaan, he directed Katrina Kaif and Saif Ali Khan in Phantom, an all-out actioner based on the 26/11 attacks.
He commented on the transformation of the phrase "Jai Shri Ram" from a culturally rooted and positive phrase to an expression that now evokes aggression, causing him distress.