CM under fire for playing ‘broker’
A day after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis brokered a truce between filmmaker Karan Johar and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, Fadnavis continued to face flak from political parties and other sections of society.
On Saturday, Fadnavis convened a meeting, which was attended by Thackeray, Karan and Film and Television Producers Guild of India's president Mukesh Bhatt, among others at his official residence, Varsha, to resolve the imbroglio. Johar’s film 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil', that features Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, ran into trouble after Thackeray-led MNS said it won't allow release of any movie in India that featured Pakistani artistes.
The opposition continued to slam Fadnavis for “brokering” the deal with Thackeray’s MNS. Nationalist Congress Party spokesperson Nawab Malik said that the Bharatiya Janata Party and MNS have a political understanding. “All this (protest against the film) was an orchestrated drama by BJP and MNS. Both parties have a tacit political understanding. Such antics by MNS will eat into Shiv Sena’s share of votes in the upcoming local elections,” Malik told the Free Press Journal.
“I have news that all three (Fadnavis, Johar and Raj Thackeray) have decided to produce a movie. The name has also been finalised. It is titled 'Yeh to Hona hi Tha”
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday poked fun at the meeting called by Fadanavis to resolve the impasse over the release of the film. “I have not got details about the meeting. But I have news that all three (Fadnavis, Johar and Raj Thackeray) have decided to produce a movie. The name has also been finalised. It is titled 'Yeh to Hona hi Tha'," said Thackeray, who is on a tour of Goa. Meanwhile, the film fraternity also questioned Fadnavis’ move to mediate when the state government could have provided adequate security for the film to release. Filmmaker and Vice President of Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association (IMPPA) Ashoke Pandit questioned Fadnavis and Bhatt asking why they agreed to the demand of MNS that every producer who has cast a Pakistani actor must contribute Rs 5 crore to the Army welfare fund. “Even we had demanded that Pak actors be not allowed to work in India. But you keep a condition and the Chief Minister agrees to that. It is wrong. Which law is passed that if you are a producer and if you have cast any Pakistani artistes in a film then you will have to donate,” asked Pandit. National Award winning actress Shabana Azmi too slammed Fadnavis for "brokering deal" with MNS instead of enforcing law and order in a series of tweets. “What a sorry state of affairs! CM brokers deal and buys patriotism for 5 crore! After Home minister had promised peaceful passage for #ADHM," Azmi tweeted on Sunday. She added, “Sangh Parivar speaks in different voices most blatant expression is CM MHRSTA brokering deal with MNS instead of enforcing law and order for ADHM release.” Azmi also slammed Raj Thackeray: “MNS will decide whether I am patriotic or not? I bow to the Indian Constitution, Raj Thackeray does not. Whose patriotism needs questioning?” she tweeted.