Actor’s pro-Pakistan comment condemned

Mumbai: Hitting back at Salman Khan for defending Pakistani artistes visiting India, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray on Saturday said the time had come to boycott films starring the actor to teach him a lesson.

At a press conference at his Shivaji Park residence, Mr. Thackeray reiterated his comments of Friday and added, “These people will not change till the country does not boycott their films. As far as the films starring Pakistani actors is concerned, we have already told the theatre owners not to screen such films. The people who are supporting the Pakistani actors should feel the pinch of such a ban.”

Mr. Thackeray dared the Bajrangi Bhaijaan star to shoot films in Pakistan after obtaining work permit from the government there if he had so much love for Pakistani actors.

Speaking a day after Khan said Pakistani actors were not terrorists, and IMPPA ban on them was uncalled for, Mr. Thackeray accused the actor of speaking for Pakistani artistes as the actor regarded Pakistan as a “film territory” for marketing his films.

“Has Salman Khan or Bollywood paid homage for the soldiers killed in the recent attack by Pakistani terrorists. For Salman Khan, Pakistan is film territory. That’s why he is indulging in all these kind of things,” Thackeray said.

Pointing out that Bollywood film-makers who use Pakistan’s acting and music talent still shoot their films in India, Mr. Thackeray said, “If Salman Khan has so much love for Pakistani artistes, he should go to Pakistan and shoot his films after obtaining work permit. In his film Bajrangi Bhaijaan, it is shown that he goes to Pakistani to drop a girl at her home across the border. But, in actuality, the film was shot in India. Why did Salman not go to Pakistan to shoot this sequence of the film. Because, he knows that he does not get work permit to shoot in that country.”

Referring to the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka dispute over Cauvery water, Mr.Thackeray said “Salman Khan says that artistes have no boundaries. You know what happened during the ongoing dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka over the sharing of Cauvery water. Didn’t all the Tamil actors, including Rajanikant take to the streets to support their state against Karnataka? Don’t they have boundaries?”

The MNS leader also targeted Fawad Khan who stars in Karan Johar’s soon to be released Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. “After his return to Pakistan, he says he loves his country and would not condemn the terror attacks in India. But, he wants to work in Indian films,” Mr. Thackeray said.