Indian nationalist party warns SRK, Karan Johar to not cast Pakistani actors

An Indian nationalist party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS)-affiliate, the other day, has given a “direct threat” to Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar for working with Pakistani actors.

“It is not a veiled threat. It’s a direct threat to producers like SRK and Karan Johar who take Pakistani actors in their movies,” Shalini Thackeray, general secretary of MNS Chitrapat Karamchari Sena said, according to the Indian Express.

The MNS worker questioned the two Bollywood stars on why they need to import stars from across the border. “You can’t find Indian actors for your films? In this 125 crores Indian population, can’t you find a single Indian actor to cast in your films that you import people from a place like Pakistan, a country with which we all are facing a problem,” he said.

Thackeray further said they allow won’t allow the release of movies featuring Pakistani artistes. “The two movies going to be released are Shahrukh Khan’s Raees and Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil in which Pakistani artistes have acted. We are not going to allow them to release.”

Speaking about the fate of Bollywood films starring Pakistani actors, he said, “That’s for them to decide what they should be doing with their films that have Pakistani actors. We will not allow films with Pakistani actors to be released here in Maharashtra.”

“We are sending letters to all producers and would request them to cooperate with us, which we hope they will in Maharashtra. If they don’t, we will stop the shoot wherever Pakistani actors are involved,” he added.

Upcoming October release Ae Dil Hai Mushkil stars Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, while Mahira Khan will be seen in Raees, set to release in January next year.

Earlier, MNS-affiliate on Friday set a 48-hour deadline for all Pakistani artists working in India to immediately leave the country.

“We gave a 48-hour deadline to Pakistani actors and artists to leave India or MNS will push them out,” said Amey Khopkar, MNS Chitrapat Sena, The Indian Express reported.

This comes at a time of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan after terrorists killed 18 Army personnel at an Army camp in Uri, Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for the attack and issued menacing statements against Pakistan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack and said that it won’t go unpunished.

It is, however, not the first time that Pakistani artists have been threatened by Mumbai-based political parties. Shiv Sena in the past had forced noted ghazal singer Ghulam Ali to cancel his performance in Mumbai. They also threatened to launch a stir against a cricket match between India and Pakistan during the T20 World Cup.