FUTURE REMAINS TENSE FOR FILMS

There are several upcoming Bollywood movies that could find themselves in trouble due to Pakistani artistes acting in them. The most prominent of these movies is Shah Rukh Khan’s Raees, currently scheduled for a January 27 release. “Shah Rukh’s film is introducing Pakistani actor Mahira Khan. After the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) asked all Pakistani actors to return to their country, the makers are now worried this development can severely affect the business of the film,” says an insider.

Filmmaker Gauri

Shinde’s upcoming

Dear Zindagi, with Ali

Zafar in a supporting role, could also be affected because of the public sentiment.

Dear Zindagi is made with a budget of `15 crore, Ae Dil Hai

Mushkil with `55 crores and Raees has

`50 crore riding on it.

Film distributor

Sanjay Ghai says the loss for

Bollywood could be visible after the release of Ae

Dil Hai Mushkil. TM KRISHNA, Ramon Magsaysay award winner

Cultural authoritarianism was far more powerful than economic power and what was happening in Bollywood now was another example of that power. We are very vulnerable where politics is concerned. Where nationalism is concerned, don’t think Bollywood is divided.

AJAY DEVGN, actor-producer

CM’s responsibility was maintaining law and it was unconstitutional for him to mediate between producers and MNS...

SACHIN SAWANT, Maharashtra Congress spokesperson

By making producers agree to contribute to the army welfare fund, Thackeray and Fadnavis have insulted the memory of martyred jawans.

NAWAB MALIK, NCP spokesman

Nation, patriotism comes first even for the film fraternity... We have decided to not engage any Pakistani artiste in our films...

MUKESH BHATT, president, Film and Television Producers Guild of India