All Pak actors have left India, says MNS

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, September 25

Two days after asking Pakistani artistes working in Bollywood to leave Mumbai, Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has claimed victory. 

“The 48-hour deadline (we have set for the Pakistani artistes) is over and all Pakistanis working in the city have left... We will hunt down anyone still hiding in Mumbai,” said Amey Khopkar, MNS 'Chitrapat Sena' head. Justifying the threat against Pakistani actors working in Bollywood, Khopkar said they could be carrying out reccees on behalf of the authorities of that country and passing off information to them. He thanked Subash Chandra, promoter of Zee Television, for stopping telecast of Pakistani serials. 

The MNS and its leader Raj Thackeray have, however, come in for criticism from top Bollywood personalities. Filmmaker Karan Johar, whose Ae Dil Hai Mushkil starring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, is due for release near Diwali condemned the attack on actors from the neighbouring country. “I understand the anger and the anguish that surround us and I empathise, my heart bleeds for the lost lives..... I completely feel the pain and anger. If my film is targeted because of this, it will make me exceptionally sad because my intent was to put out a product out of love and nothing else,” Johar told a television channel.

Other Bollywood personalities like Ritesh Deshmukh and producer Mukesh Bhatt have also condemned the MNS for the boycott of Pakistanis.