Karan Johar breaks silence on threats to Pakistani actors in India

India's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena says it won’t allow the release of movies featuring Pakistani artistes

A day after India's nationalist party threatened Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan on working with Pakistani actors, KJo has opened up about his views on casting Fawad Khan in his movie, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

"I feel my heart bleeds for the lost lives, there is nothing that justify this terrible feeling of terror," he told journalist Barkha Dutt. "Telling Fawad to pack up and leave isn't a solution. Today if my film is being targeted because of this it will make me exceptionally sad. Banning art or artists isn't a solution."

Exclusive: "Banning Pakistani Actors doesnt solve Terrorism. @karanjohar breaks silence on threats from MNS & Sena https://t.co/HWO6p1oj5i

— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) September 25, 2016

General secretary of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Shalini Thackeray had said on Saturday they won’t allow the release of movies featuring Pakistani artistes.

“We are sending letters to all producers and would request them to cooperate with us, which we hope they will in Maharashtra. If they don’t, we will stop the shoot wherever Pakistani actors are involved," Thackeray said.



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Karan added, "I feel the pain the anger as an Indian citizen. My intent was to always put out a creative product of love and nothing else."



When asked how he wishes to combat the current situation, he said, "I am a vulnerable soft target. I have combated that with various films. We make movies, we are a creative industry, please leave us alone. We don't matter in this scheme of things."

"Culturally boycotting artists is not a solution," he concluded.

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil stars Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, while Mahira Khan will be seen in Raees opposite SRK.

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