Mumbai:
While the Shiv Sena's protests and threatens to stop the release of Shah Rukh Khan's new film, Raj Thackeray says he'll steer clear of the Sena's war with Khan.
At a press conference in Mumbai, Raj Thackeray said that his party, the Maharashtra Navrnirman Sena or MNS, will not target the film, which releases in Mumbai on Friday.
His estranged uncle and cousin, Bal and Uddhav Thackeray, have warned that Shiv Sainiks are likely to "spontaneously" attack cinemas showing the film unless Khan apologizes for his statement on Pakistani cricketers.
There is tight security outside Mumbai theatres which are scheduled to show the film. More than a thousand Sainiks have been taken into preventive custody. On Wednesday, nervous cinemas stopped advance sales of tickets for the film. Once the police added more security to cinemas identified as vulnerable by theatre-owners, advance bookings re-opened. (
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The movie, directed by Karan Johar, has become the target of the Sena-SRK face-off. Khan has repeatedly said he will not apologize for his comments.
After the film's premiere in Dubai on Wednesday night, Karan Johar tweeted, "Crisis can truly be an eye opener...you know who stand tall with you and realise those who don't...so much I have learnt today...miss my dad."
Last year, under similar pressure, Karan Johar was forced to apologize to Raj Thackeray whose party objected to Mumbai being called 'Bombay in Johar's film, Wake Up, Sid.
That was different, says Thackeray, because the incorrect reference was made within the film. Shah Rukh's comments were not a part of the movie and therefore the movie should not be targeted, added Thackeray.