Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has waded into the controversy surrounding films featuring Pakistani artistes by allegedly giving the go-ahead to his party cadres to resort to vio
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray has waded into the controversy surrounding films featuring Pakistani artistes by allegedly giving the go-ahead to his party cadres to resort to violence, but ensure that films with Pakistani artistes are not released.
Sources said that Mr Thackeray gave the go-ahead in a closed-door meeting of party functionaries held at his residence Krishnakunj in Dadar on Monday.
The MNS is opposing the release of movies featuring Pakistani actors. The MNS’ film wing, Chitrapat Karmachari Sena (CKS), has threatened filmmaker Karan Johar that they will not allow him to release his film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil which features Pakistani actor Fawad Khan. They have also opposed Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Raees, which also features Pakistani actor Mahira Khan.
According to a party insider, Mr Thackeray is aggressive on the Pakistani artistes issue. “Though, Raj saheb has not stated clearly what to do with such movies, his indication was ‘do it with MNS style’ to stop the release of the film,” claimed the party functionary on condition of anonymity.
Even as the MNS has threatened single screen theaters not to release Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Mr Thackeray instructed party functionaries to inform multiplex also to not release the film.
The source said that Mr Thackeray has instructed that if multiplexes ignore the MNS’ threat, they are to “teach them a lesson in MNS style.”
Mr Thackeray’s meeting was attended by more than 45 party functionaries, including shakha pramukhs (in-charge of branches) and vibhag pramukhs (in-charge of regions). Meanwhile, Amey Khopkar, the chief of MNS film wing CKS, has written to multiplex owners not to release movies featuring Pakistani actors.
