Some Indian cinemas have refused to screen films featuring Pakistani actors, putting the release of Karan Johar's widely-anticipated film 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' featuring Fawad Khan in trouble.
The Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India has requested members in four states not to screen films featuring Pakistani actors.
"We have decided that these films (with Pak actors) should not be screened. This is based on public sentiment over the past few months," Indian media quoted an official from the association as saying.
Karan Johar's mega film 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' stars Ranbir Kapur, Aishwarya Rai, Anushka Sharma and Fawad Khan, who has a huge fan following in India.
Fawad Khan, along with other Pakistani artistes has been under fire in India following the Uri attack and Indian claims of a surgical strike which escalated tensions between the two neighbouring countries.
The film's release faces a lot of uncertainty. Several extremist circles in India have threatened Pakistani artistes and called for a ban on them. It was reported earlier that Karan Johar was planning on replacing Fawad's face in the movie with that of Saif Ali Khan, as pressure by extremist groups mounts.
The Indian Motion Producers Pictures Association (IMPPA) recently placed a ban on Pakistani actors and crew working in Bollywood.
Meanwhile, Bollywood actor Om Puri has slammed the move by the Indian cinemas and said that filmmakers should go to court over the decision by some Indian cinema owners not to screen films with Pakistani actors. He said that Pakistan and India are not just regular neighbours; instead, they have been together for thousands of years.
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