 "ADHM Truce: Raj Thackeray asks producers to pay Rs 5 cr for casting Pak artistes")
Putting an end to the turbulence surrounding the release of Karan Johar's next movie 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil', Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray reached a truce on October 22 by suggesting that producers casting Pakistani actors in their movies will have to pay Rs. 5 crore for the Army Welfare Association.
"All the producers who have Pakistani artistes in their film will, as penance, have to pay some money, I suggested five crore per film. They will work out the figure now and give the money to the Army Welfare Association," Thackeray said after meeting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the movie's director, Karan Johar.
"In the meeting today, I asked (Mukesh) Bhatt and others- why roll out the red carpet for them, when they (in Pakistan) ban films and artists when they want to?" he said.
Earlier in the morning, Raj Thackeray, Devendra Fadnavis, Karan Johar and others from the film fraternity met at the Chief Minister's residence to discuss the release of the upcoming movie- 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' (ADHM).
After the meeting, Mukesh Bhatt, President at the Film and Television Producers Guild of India, said that the body will pass a resolution stating that they will not work with Pakistani actors in future.
"I assured the Chief Minister that the Producer's Guild has decided that we will not work with Pakistani artists in the future; it is a resolution and we will pass this resolution," said Mukesh Bhatt after the meeting.
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Bhatt also said that keeping the sentiments of the nation first, director Karan Johar has also said that he will run a slate at the begnning of the movie to honour the martyrs.
Karan Johar and Dharma productions' joint project- ADHM- has been surrounded with controversies for featuring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan amid worsening ties between India and its neighbouring country.
On October 20, the Film and Television Producers Guild of India member met Rajnath Singh, concerning the release of the movie after. After the meeting, filmmaker Mukesh Bhatt had said that the government has assured to provide security to exhibitors featuring the movie and will try to maintain law and order during screenings.
The movie is scheduled to be released on October 28.
Many political parties, inlcuding the MNS, have been demanding a ban on Johar's film that also stars industry stalwarts like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma.
In an emotional video statement, Johar had on Tuesday expressed a "deep sense of hurt and pain" for being labelled as an anti-national.
"I condemn terror in the strongest terms, I respect our Army, for me, the country comes first," the 44-year-old director said.
"The reason why I remained silent is because of a deep sense of pain," he added.
Johar, who made his directorial debut with the blockbuster romance Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, further said: "The best way to express your patriotism is to spread love and thats all I have ever tried to do through my work and cinema."