MNS warns Bhatt, Johar over working with Pak artistes

Escalating its opposition to Pakistani actors, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) today threatened to "beat up" film makers Karan Johar and Mahesh Bhatt if they work with or release films featuring artistes from the neighbouring country. The threat was given by the film wing of Raj Thackeray- led MNS which had recently set a 48-hour deadline for all Pakistani artistes working in India to leave the country. "We had appealed to film industry not to work with Pakistani artistes in the wake of the Uri attack. However, Bhatt and Johar have not given a positive response to our appeal," head of MNS Chitrapat Sena, Amey Khopkar said.

style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:" arial","sans-serif""="">"If they work with any Pakistani artiste, they should be prepared for a befitting response from us," Khopkar said. Khopkar also said that their workers would oppose the release of "Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" and "Raees" since they feature Pakistani actors. "We have not received any written assurance from either Shah Rukh Khan or Karan Johar (assuring that Pakistani actors won't be taken in their movies). Our agitation over banning Pakistani actors will go on. We will oppose their films. If these two films ('Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" and "Raees') release, we will stall the release. Our workers are ready to go to jail. We will stall the films in our 'style'," he told a TV channel.