The ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan seem to have affected Bollywood the most, what with most artists from the other side of the border leaving the country in the wake of the Uri attacks and its aftermath.
The latest news doing the rounds will only add on to this. According to a popular daily, Pakistani actress Mahira Khan has been dropped from Raees, where she was paired opposite Shah Rukh Khan.
It’s said that there was apparently immense pressure from MNS and other political parties to send Pakistani artists back or face the wrath of the parties, the daily added.
In fact, Diwali-release Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which stars Fawad Khan in a pivotal role, is facing massive backlash over the casting. Moreover, a portion of the movie involving the leading ladies' character backgrounds had to be allegedly changed to avoid further damage to the movie, another gossip portal added.
A source close to the daily added, “It was a very painful decision for producer Ritesh Sidhwani to take. The pressure to replace her had been building up for months. It reached a crescendo after the Uri attacks. It came to a point where it became impossible to shoot with any Pakistani artiste. People suggested all kinds of solutions to the impasse, including shooting in Dubai. But it didn’t seem viable. Now, Mahira has unfortunately been relieved of her duties.”
The movie’s director, Rahul Dholakia, put out a rather cryptic tweet too:
"Cooker ki saat seeti Baj chuki hai, aag dena bandh kar" (not a line from Raees, I has better dialogues)
— rahul dholakia (@rahuldholakia) October 9, 2016
Raees is said to be an underworld drama that blurs the lines of black, white, and grey characters. Directed by Rahul Dholakia and produced by Red Chillies and Excel Entertainment, it stars Farhan Akhtar and Nawazuddin Siddiqu with SRK being the protagonist.
It’s slated to clash with Hrithik Roshan's Kaabil on January 26, 2017.
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