MNS warns exhibitors of protests if they don't accomodate Marathi film in place of TZH

Mumbai: Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena are up in arms against the makers of 'Tiger Zinda Hai' and the exhibitors screening the film.

The party has threatened to stall the release of the Salman Khan-Katrina Kaif starrer if prime time threatre slots for Marathi film ‘Deva’ are not made available, according to a report in The Times of India.

Ameya Khopkar, chief of the party’s film cell, has written a letter to film exhibitors warning them that the party workers would take to the streets and corner theatres if the Marathi film is not accommodated.

Another Marathi film 'Gachchi' is also on the look-out for screens, according to reports.

“We are here to serve the cause of Marathi...We urge you to co-exist peacefully with Marathi filmmakers. If you fail to understand this language of reconciliation, then we will have to talk to you in our ‘special’ language,” Khopkar warned.

“We want the state government to end the misery of Marathi filmmakers. We will start our stir if the government fails to take action against the makers of Tiger Zinda Hai,” senior MNS functionary said.

Khopkar has also written to the minister for cultural affairs Vinod Tawde, who was quoted as saying, “The government has already set rules and norms for prime time slot for Marathi cinema. If there is violation, the government will step in and take stern action.”

However, film exhibitors are reportedly keen to go ahead with their earlier decision. The daily quoted a suburban theatre manager saying, “It is impossible to pull out a Salman Khan film, which has come like a ray of sunshine at the end of the year. He has the largest fan following among any star in India, so the first three days are always housefull. Moreover, we have had bleak collections in the past two months with not a single picture doing good business. Padmavati was due to release on December 1, but it has been deferred as well. At this rate, we will have to close down.”

He also hoped that the police and state government take steps to protect them, in case a violent situation breaks out.

The MNS had have a long history of disrupting films. Karan Johar’s films ‘Wake Up Sid’ and ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ both had run-ins with the party, the former for using ‘Bombay’ instead of Mumbai in a dialogue and latter for featuring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan after crumbling of Indo-Pak ties following attacks in Uri last year.

Their opposition against Pakistani actors continued when Mahira Khan starred in ‘Raees’. The matter, however, cooled down after Shah Rukh Khan called on Raj Thackeray.