ADHM row: Producers of films having Pak artists to pay Rs 5 crore to ensure a smooth release

The President of the Film & Television Producers Guild of India, Mukesh Bhatt and Karan Johar had a meeting with the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis and MNS cheif Raj Thackeray on Saturday morning and discussed the issues surrounding the release of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

Raj Thackeray, while interacting with the media after the meeting, said that the producers of those films featuring Pakistani artists that are ready to release, are required to pay a sum of Rs 5 crore to the Army Relief Fund regardless of the collections of the films. This decision will directly impact the producers of upcoming movies Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Dear Zindagi and Raees as they star Fawad Khan, Ali Zafar and Mahira Khan respectively.​

Post the meeting Mukesh Bhatt threw light on the matters discussed and whether the movie will release as per schedule and said, “Yes Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is releasing on Diwali. Everything has been resolved. Apart from me and Karan Johar, some of the Producers Guild members including Siddharth Roy Kapur and Sajid Nadiadwala, along with MNS chief, Shri Raj Thakeray, were also present at the meeting today with the Maharashtra Chief Minister Shri Devendra Fadnavis. The MNS has agreed not to do anything. I am happy that I have been able to deliver through my good offices. We have decided not to use Pakistani artists in the future but as I told our Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh that our job is to entertain and not get into politics. Those producers whose films are stuck in the pipeline should be allowed to release their films. They are law-abiding citizens. How can they suffer because of some terrorists?”