MNS Chief Raj Thackeray bans release of Pak film on Oct 2
MNS Chief Raj Thackeray bans release of Pak film on Oct 2
Ahead of the first ever release of a Pakistani film “The Legend of Maula Jatt’ in Indian Cinema Houses, the MNS Chief Raj Thackeray has stringently warned that the film will not hit the theatres in India. The film is slated for premiere on October 2, the day of Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti.
The Bilal Lashari’s directorial is a remake of the 1979 cult classic ‘Maula Jatt’ and features
besides Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan in India, Indian theatres, with the premiere scheduled for October 2.
The MNS Chief criticised the release of films featuring Pakistani actors in India, claiming that cultural exchanges with Pakistan should not be tolerated, given the strained relations between the two countries.
“Art does not have national borders, this is all right in other cases, but in the case of Pakistan, this will not work at all. What is the beginning of bringing the country’s actors here to dance and show their films on the single issue of hatred of India?
He went on to add that ‘Let alone Maharashtra’, the government should not allow this movie to be screened in any state of the country.
Of course, what the rest of the states should do is their problem. It is certain that this movie will not be released in Maharashtra.
He urged theatre owners to avoid screening the movie, recalling earlier actions taken by the MNS to block similar releases.
With the nine-day Navratri commencing in October, the MNS party doesn’t want any conflict in the midst of the festival.
While ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ is anticipated to perform well at the box office, given Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan’s popularity in India from their previous projects, the MNS has reiterated its opposition. Ameya Khopkar, president of the MNS Cinema Wing, echoed Thackeray’s sentiment, urging people across India to protest the film’s release. This movie will never see the light of day in India and no Pakistani actors or films will see its release in India. If cinema houses dare to show the film, they will face consequences
The film, directed by Bilal Lashari, is a remake of the 1979 cult classic ‘Maula Jatt’ and has been a major success in Pakistan, earning Rs 400 crore globally. It is being released in India by Zee Studios in collaboration with ‘Zindagi’, which also featured Fawad Khan in its show ‘Barzakh’.
And the same will not be the wish of the Chief Minister of the state, the Home Minister and the Director General of Police of the state. And we don’t want any conflict, Thackeray stated.
He added that he doesn’t wish that there should be any conflict in the state for any Pakistani cinema and he is for sure the government will give due attention to it.
‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ would be the first Pakistani movie to release in India since 2011’s ‘Bol’, featuring Humaima Malick and Atif Aslam. Initially, it’s release was planned for December 2022 but faced delays.
The ban on Pakistani artists working in India was implemented after the 2016 Uri terror attack, which led to tensions between the two countries and disrupted cultural exchanges, including Fawad Khan’s flourishing career in Bollywood. Although Fawad and Mahira remain popular in India, the political climate continues to complicate their involvement in Indian cinema.
News Edit KV Raman
