--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've often said that I can forgive a…" description: "\"I've often said that I can forgive a shoddy screenplay or bad acting, but I can never forgive bad politics.\" — Kabir Khan" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/kabir-khan-6082_acting_i-ve-often-said-that-i-can-forgive-a-sho_541473.jpg" --- # I've often said that I can forgive a shoddy screenplay or… ![“I've often said that I can forgive a shoddy screenplay or bad acting, but I can never forgive bad politics.” quote by Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/kabir-khan-6082_acting_i-ve-often-said-that-i-can-forgive-a-sho_541473.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/kabir-khan-6082_acting_i-ve-often-said-that-i-can-forgive-a-sho_541473.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1d8/kabir-khan-6082_acting_i-ve-often-said-that-i-can-forgive-a-sho_541473.jpg) > “I've often said that I can forgive a shoddy screenplay or bad acting, but I can never forgive bad politics.” [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker tolerates artistic flaws but draws a line at political failings, valuing integrity over entertainment. **In simple terms:** Bad politics is unforgivable compared to bad art. Key Takeaway Hold political standards higher than artistic ones. Themes integrity politics media criticism Mood critical reflective Type analytical ethical When to use this quote - political debates - media analysis - voting decisions - activism - public discourse Key Concepts ethical standards public trust artistic tolerance Questions to Reflect On - How do you separate art from the artist's politics? - What standards should guide political forgiveness? A Different Perspective Art can be redeemed, but political harm has lasting impact. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acting/) [Bad acting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-acting/) [Bad politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-politics/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Forgiveness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/forgiveness/) [Movie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movie/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Screenplay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/screenplay/) ## Related quotes > [For me, if Vijayendra Prasad had not given me the two pager for 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan,' I would not have been able to create a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/for-me-if-vijayendra-prasad-had-not-given-me-the-two-pager-for/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [The single-payer Medicare for All proposal is not only bad policy, but it's bad politics. It's bad politics for a very simple reason: More…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-delaney/the-single-payer-medicare-for-all-proposal-is-not-only-bad-policy-but/) [John Delaney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-delaney/) > [I don't know if this is good politics or bad politics to criticize Trump, but you've got to call out, just like people in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrod-brown/i-don-t-know-if-this-is-good-politics-or-bad-politics-to-criticize/) [Sherrod Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrod-brown/) > [In Marxism there are some very unhelpful ideas about the need to push for a revolution that will overturn all of society. Marx gets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-kauffman/in-marxism-there-are-some-very-unhelpful-ideas-about-the-need-to-push/) [Cynthia Kauffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-kauffman/) > [Contrary to the prevailing notion that good governance is bad politics, in reality good governance is good politics. A government should work keeping in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/contrary-to-the-prevailing-notion-that-good-governance-is-bad/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Politics is like air and water. And you know if there is bad politics. Everyone is polluted. Everyone is unhealthy. See the people walking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ai-weiwei/politics-is-like-air-and-water-and-you-know-if-there-is-bad-politics/) [Ai Weiwei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ai-weiwei/) > [The cure for bad politics is the same as the cure for tuberculosis. It is living in the open.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/the-cure-for-bad-politics-is-the-same-as-the-cure-for-tuberculosis-it/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [For me, I feed off everything, from bad politics to religion to relationships - I mean, just life in general. And, yeah, I'm not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-moody/for-me-i-feed-off-everything-from-bad-politics-to-religion-to/) [Ivan Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-moody/) > [There is nothing so bad that politics cannot make it worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/there-is-nothing-so-bad-that-politics-cannot-make-it-worse/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [“Don’t think it is enough to attend meetings and sit there like a lump…. It is better to address envelopes than to attend foolish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marjory-stoneman-douglas/don-t-think-it-is-enough-to-attend-meetings-and-sit-there-like-a-lump/) [Marjory Stoneman Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marjory-stoneman-douglas/) > [Not all negativity is bad. In politics, it's a necessary clarifying tool.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-weisberg/not-all-negativity-is-bad-in-politics-it-s-a-necessary-clarifying-tool/) [Jacob Weisberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-weisberg/) > [It was hard to figure out what were the good causes, the bad causes, even the good politics and the bad politics. So we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-ament/it-was-hard-to-figure-out-what-were-the-good-causes-the-bad-causes/) [Jeff Ament](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-ament/) > [The problem is not that the U.S. economy won't be able to take care of its citizens - it is that taking away benefits,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/the-problem-is-not-that-the-u-s-economy-won-t-be-able-to-take-care-of/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [“…I’ve seen the world tell us with wars and real estate developments and bad politics and odd court decisions that our lives don’t matter.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hugo/i-ve-seen-the-world-tell-us-with-wars-and-real-estate-developments/) [Richard Hugo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hugo/) > [Democrats are holistically bad at politics. They don't know how to fight in the way Republicans do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-wilson/democrats-are-holistically-bad-at-politics-they-don-t-know-how-to/) [Rick Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-wilson/) ## More by Kabir Khan > [I have been to Afghanistan many times, even before the Taliban collapsed. I was fascinated by the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/i-have-been-to-afghanistan-many-times-even-before-the-taliban/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [The main idea of making a movie is to provide entertainment. But as a director, I also say what I want to say with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/the-main-idea-of-making-a-movie-is-to-provide-entertainment-but-as-a/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [One of the biggest drawbacks of our industry is that we haven't nurtured our writers for years. Now, we realise we need to but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/one-of-the-biggest-drawbacks-of-our-industry-is-that-we-haven-t/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [We definitely need to give so much more importance, relevance, pay, glory to the writers because they are really the backbone of what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/we-definitely-need-to-give-so-much-more-importance-relevance-pay/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [I have realised the toxicity or negative impact of social media is more than the positive impact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/i-have-realised-the-toxicity-or-negative-impact-of-social-media-is/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [For nationalism, sometimes we need a counter point or a villain. However, you don't need any such thing for patriotism. Patriotism is a pure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/for-nationalism-sometimes-we-need-a-counter-point-or-a-villain/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [Everything is politics. And everyone has an ideology. Without one, we are animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/everything-is-politics-and-everyone-has-an-ideology-without-one-we/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [Honestly, one doesn't expect any awards, let alone a National Award.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/honestly-one-doesn-t-expect-any-awards-let-alone-a-national-award/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [I've never compromised in the story of 'Ek Tha Tiger' just because Salman Khan is in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/i-ve-never-compromised-in-the-story-of-ek-tha-tiger-just-because/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [History always remains relevant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/history-always-remains-relevant/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [There is no ego whatsoever in Salman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/there-is-no-ego-whatsoever-in-salman/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [Post 'Ek Tha Tiger,' which was a more mainstream, action film, I spent a lot of time with Salman and I realised that he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/post-ek-tha-tiger-which-was-a-more-mainstream-action-film-i-spent-a/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [I am a Pathan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/i-am-a-pathan/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [It's the easiest thing today, demonising the Mughals and various other Muslim rulers that India had at different points in its history. Trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/it-s-the-easiest-thing-today-demonising-the-mughals-and-various-other/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [For so long, we have believed that commercial cinema is nonsensical, but 'Bajrangi' was not nonsense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/for-so-long-we-have-believed-that-commercial-cinema-is-nonsensical/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) [Explore all 100 Kabir Khan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) ## More Acting quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. You have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-moore/i-actually-think-acting-is-a-form-of-self-hypnosis-you-have-to-be/) [Julianne Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-moore/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [I'm a big fan of all the Boston guys that are acting - Matt Damon , Ben Affleck, Mark Wahlberg - they made a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-wormald/i-m-a-big-fan-of-all-the-boston-guys-that-are-acting-matt-damon-ben/) [Kenny Wormald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-wormald/) > [Acting is a grind, just like music is a grind. Sometimes it takes longer than what you can give.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/big-sean/acting-is-a-grind-just-like-music-is-a-grind-sometimes-it-takes/) [Big Sean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/big-sean/) > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [Writing is something I took up rather than anything I had an inclination toward. I like acting -delivering someone else's message - but writing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-martin/writing-is-something-i-took-up-rather-than-anything-i-had-an/) [Steve Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-martin/) > [I can still function when I don't have that balance I crave. 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