Mumbai:
When Shah Rukh Khan refused to apologise to the Shiv Sena, he may have laid down a new code of ethics for a film industry often found wanting on that front. Because now, as another Bollywood film found itself being targeted by the other Thackeray - Raj - its makers have fought back.
And 11 of Raj Thackeray's men were arrested for trying to blackmail a producer to give them 27 lakh. They have been released on bail. But the message is clear. Bollywood will fight its villains.
On Sunday, members of Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) showed up on the sets of a film called Crooked. They ordered the producer, Ritesh Sidhwani, to hire local dancers instead of foreigners. They then added that they'd like 27 lakh to "allow" the film to continue shooting.
Sidhwani sent an SOS to producer Mukesh Bhatt, who called the Chief Minister for help. A police case was filed, and the offenders were arrested.
"We are not answerable to the MNS. Bollywood is targeted because we are a glamour industry and it gets them publicity. Film producers are very happy with the prompt action,'' says Bhatt, who heads the United Producers & Distributors Association.
Raj Thackeray's party says it's being maligned. ''We asked them to hire locals instead of foreign dancers. But then we found they had hired people without work permits..we will not stop our campaign. Why can't our heroes dance with Indian heroines?" asks Shalini Thackeray, who is an office-bearer of a body that calls itself the MNS Film-Workers Union.
The twist in the story, however, comes from Bollywood's change in its deferential attitude towards all factions of the Thackerays. Last year, Karan Johar apologised profusely when Raj Thackeray's men threatened to stop his film, Wake Up Sid, from screening because it referred to the city as Bombay instead of "Mumbai." Before that, Amitabh Bachchan apologized to Raj for his wife's comments at a public function - that she would speak in Hindi instead of Marathi because she's originally from UP.
What has Bollywood feeling bolder is the active support of the state authorities, which has reportedly been warned by the Centre to curb the Thackeray hooliganism in Maharashtra. The lights and camera of Bollywood are finally seeing some action from the government.