Film-maker Anurag Kashyap took to Twitter and lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the ban imposed on Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (ADHM) in 4 states across India.
The Cinema Owners Association of India (COEAI) banned the screening of Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Goa, owing to the presence of Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in the movie. The association had decided that it will not allow release of any Bollywood movie that features any Pakistani artist.
This declaration did not go down well with Anurag, who expressed support for Karan and even questioned Modi's last visit with Pakistani PM.
"The World must learn from us.. We solve all our problems by blaming it on movies and banning it #ADHM With you on this @karanjohar," Anurag tweeted first. The film-maker even asked for an apology from Modi for meeting the Pakistani PM and pointed out that Karan was also shooting for the film around the same time.
"@narendramodi Sir you haven't yet said sorry for your trip to meet the Pakistani PM.. It was dec 25th. Same time KJo was shooting ADHM? Why?," he tweeted.
Anurag did not stop there and made a number of tweets asking the reason behind targeting film-makers and Modi being silent on the issue. "@narendramodi why is it that we have to face it while you can be silent??," Anurag posted.
He continued saying, "@narendramodi and you actually diverted your trip on our tax money. While the film shot then was on money on which someone here pays interest."
"@narendramodi I am just trying to understand the situation because I am actually dumb and I don't get it. Sorry if you feel offended." "Btw Bharat Mata ji jai Sir @narendramodi," he concluded.
The World must learn from us.. We solve all our problems by blaming it on movies and banning it.. #ADHM . With you on this @karanjohar
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) 15 October 2016
@narendramodi Sir you haven't yet said sorry for your trip to meet the Pakistani PM.. It was dec 25th. Same time KJo was shooting ADHM? Why?
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) 16 October 2016
The movie Ae Dil Hai Mushkil features Ranbir Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Anushka Sharma and Fawad Khan. There were also reports that Aishwarya and Anushka were supposed to play characters of Pakistani women, but Karan later changed it to avoid any controversy. The film is slated to be released on October 28.