Director Rahul Dholakia and actor Swara Bhasker were some of the film personalities to express their disappointment after a special NDPS court in Mumbai said it would pronounce its orders on bail applications filed by Aryan Khan, son of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, and two others on October 20 in a case of alleged seizure of drugs from a cruise ship off Mumbai.
Aryan Khan, 23, was arrested on October 3 with seven others when the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) busted a drugs party on board a cruise ship. He is currently in Arthur Road prison.
After hearing extensive arguments of the investigating agency NCB and defense lawyers on Thursday, special judge VV Patil posted the matter for orders on October 20. Earlier also, a magistrate's court had rejected the bail plea of Aryan Khan, Munmun Dhamecha and Arbaaz Merchant.
As news came in that the court will now pass an order on Aryan Khan's bail plea next week, filmmaker Ms Dholakia tweeted his reaction.
"I respect and support people doing their job, unfortunately this is not seeming to be about that. Disappointed with the decision of extending Aryan's jail time. #AryanKhanBail," the director, who has worked with Shah Rukh Khan in 2017 blockbuster hit "Raees", wrote on Twitter.
Ms Bhasker described the process as "pure harassment".
"#AryanKhan #AryanKhanBail Pure harassment!," she tweeted.
Without taking any names, filmmaker Hansal Mehta in a tweet said the consumption of marijuana/cannabis may be legal in many countries, but in India leads to "harassment".
"Marijuana/cannabis consumption is legal in many countries. It has been decriminalised in many. In our country its consumption is used more for harassment than for narcotics control. A movement like the one to abolish sec 377 is necessary to end this continuing travesty," he wrote.
In a tweet alluding to the court's decision today, actor Ranvir Shorey wrote, "It is the old habit of the society to give punishment or benefit of the deeds done by the parents to their children. Regrettable. #NoteToSelf."
Before the decision was announced, screenwriter Kanika Dhillon commented on a news article which stated that Aryan Khan wasn't even on the cruise and nothing was found on him.
"if Nothing found on #aryankhan-n he still in jail,longer he denied bail;wont he b an example?poster boy 4injustice n travesty!a star behind bars-4 there's no greater tyranny than perpetrated under d shield o law!Bt I blieve OUR courts will give him his basic right!prayers @iamsrk (sic)," Ms Dhillon, who is set to work with Shah Rukh Khan in a film directed by Rajkumar Hirani, tweeted earlier in the day.
Last night, filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma took a jibe at the NCB and political parties over the arrest of Aryan Khan.
"Film TITLE: ROCKET. Launching as Hero: Aryan Khan S/O @iamsrk. Produced by NCB. Co-produced by some political parties. Directed by Media," he wrote on Twitter Wednesday.
The 59-year-old director said the fans of Shah Rukh Khan should be grateful to the NCB for making Aryan Khan a super-duper star.
"All genuine and intelligent fans of @iamsrk should thank the great NCB for making their SUPER STAR''s son into a SUPER DUPER STAR ..As a @iamsrk's genuine fan I just want to shout JAI NCB," he said.
"I will take a bet that in the coming future Aryan khan will say he learnt about life much more in jail and from NCB than from his own father @iamsrk," he added.
Sharing a photo of a news article that read "Aryan Khan's lawyer Amit Desai: They are not peddlers, racketeers or traffickers", actor Tanishaa Mukherji wrote on her Instagram Story on Thursday, "free him already!!"
Her star sister Kajol, who shares a close bond with Shah Rukh Khan, is yet to comment on the matter. Even a few celebrated personalities like the Bachchan family, Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar and the young brigade of Bollywood haven't said anything as yet in public.
Superstar Salman Khan, who stays a few minutes away from Shah Rukh Khan's residence Mannat in suburban Bandra, has visited him twice since the arrest of Aryan Khan.
Among the film personalities, including superstar Hrithik Roshan, filmmakers Zoya Akhtar, Farah Khan, Mehta, comedian Johnny Lever, actors Raveena Tandon, Pooja Bhatt, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi and Roshan's former wife and interior designer Sussanne Khan among others, have expressed their solidarity with Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan.
Ardent fans of Shah Rukh Khan have often been spotted speaking up for the family not only on social media but also have been photographed outside his residence with banners of support.
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