Peace maker: Naseeruddin on the lookout for Pakistani artists

Says Karan Johar shouldn’t have apologised for featuring Fawad Khan in his film

Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has joined other Bollywood actors in slamming Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) for calling for a ban on Pakistani actors. Addressing the media during a book launch, Shah criticised the radical party for their political wrangling and double standards on the issue, reported Times of India.

“The film industry is an easy target. They (MNS) have as much fun targeting the industry as they would have while watching films made by Bollywood. We haven’t broken diplomatic ties with Pakistan, nor are we in the state of war, or have sealed our borders,” Shah said. “Only artists who aim to spread the message of love and peace are being attacked.”

The Jeewan Hathi actor revealed that instead of threatening multiplex owners over the release of director Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil which features Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, the MNS “should fight the enemies on the border”. Shah added, “According to me, the brave hearts (MNS) who are threatening film-makers and multiplexes with dire consequences should fight the enemies on the border and kill Pakistani intruders. What’s the point of threatening harmless artists?”

According to Shah, Johar did not owe a public apology to the MNS either. “I’m no fan of Karan Johar, but I’ll definitely watch his film, because I feel that a creative person who wants to get work done should be supported. The government has also assured its support to the film. So I think that Karan should not have apologised and there was no need for him to plead helplessly.”

Amid the ongoing clamor over cross-border tension between India and Pakistan spilling in the entertainment industry, MNS called for a ban on Pakistani artists entering the Indian film industry.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2016.

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