A unit of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), set up especially for liaisons with the film fraternity, on Friday threatened Pakistani artistes working in India with physical violence, and gave them a two-day deadline to leave the country.
It has also said that it will not allow release of films like Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (ADHM) and Raees as they have Pakistani actors. ADHM stars Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, besides Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma, while Raees stars Pakistani actor Mahira Khan opposite Shah Rukh Khan.
Maharashtra Navnirman Chitrapat Karmachari Sena (MNCKS) leader Amey Khopkar said on Friday: "We give a 48-hour deadline to Pakistani actors and artistes to leave India or MNS will push them out."
He added: "Pakistani kalakaar toh maar khaayenge hi, saath mein jo yahan producer/director hain unko bhi peetenge (We will beat not only Pakistani artistes if they do not leave,] but also producers and directors)."
The strong stance comes in the wake of the terror attack in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 18 soldiers of the Indian Army were martyred. The situation between India and Pakistan has been quite tense since then, and this current move by the MNS could exacerbate them.
It was not immediately clear if MNCKS leader Amey Khopkar was talking about Pakistani producers or directors, or Indian producers and directors working with Pakistani artistes.
This is not the first time that the MNS has targeted Pakistan-based artistes or their films. The party had opposed the release of the Mahira Khan-starrer Bin Roye in Maharashtra last year, and it had not hit the screens in the state.
