Farhan Akhtar on Wednesday questioned the role of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who brokered a deal between Karan Johar and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader, Raj Thackeray, calling it a “terrible precedent”.
The only word, I think, that comes to mind is unfortunate, because it has set a terrible precedent.Farhan Akhtar, Actor
Farhan also spoke up against the ban on Ae Dil Hai Mushkil because it stars Pakistani artiste, Fawad Khan.
It’s not even the government telling you what you should be doing and not doing. So who are you listening to? You are listening to the people who are threatening you with violence. Now, when you have the threat of violence, it’s not only about you. You have kids at home, you have a family.Farhan Akhtar, Actor
The actor again speaks up against the deal between Johar and Thackeray.
Why do you want to subject them to that? At the end of the day, it’s really unfortunate that this is the state of affairs.Farhan Akhtar, Actor
During the promotions of his next film, Akhtar also spoke about the film industry being a soft target.
By all means pass a law. If you pass a law, you are representing the voice of the people. We’ve elected you to do it, so by all means pass a law. But don’t hold that standard only for the film industry. Why only the film industry? Because we are easy targets. Why don’t you stop business between India and Pakistan, this two billion dollars of business that happens every single year. Stop it, go the whole hog. This is like window dressing.Farhan Akhtar, Actor
Like Zoya Akhtar had pointed out, Akhtar also said that when Karan had cast the Pakistani actor, the relations between the two countries were not strained.
People were encouraging exchange, our Prime Minister travelled there. It was an air, an environment of optimism, an environment of wanting bridges to be made. That’s the environment you started functioning in. Now, if that’s changed, you cannot hold this person by his throat and say that what you have done is wrong, and force you to say things and force you to pay money.Farhan Akhtar, Actor
The Chief Minister defended his decision when he compared talks with Hurriyat and Naxals similar to that with MNS.
“If talks can be held with Hurriyat and Naxals, what is wrong in talking with the MNS,” Fadnavis to The Indian Express.
(Source: The Indian Express)
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