THACKERAYNAMA

Shiv Sainiks were left red-faced at a recent promotional event in Mumbai for the biopic on the late Bal Thackeray. The event, which was attended by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, party MP Sanjay Raut, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, had stand-up comedian Raju Srivastav sharing an anecdote about the vicelike grip Thackeray Sr had on his party. Srivastav said that Bal Thackeray, whom he went to meet, asked Sena veteran and former chief minister Manohar Joshi to serve their guest a drink. Raut, the film’s producer, leapt into damage control, clarifying that Bal Thackeray respected his party leaders and couldn’t have treated them the way Srivastav mentioned.