ADHM row: Cinema Owners Association refuses to support film's release despite MNS green signal

After the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) gave a green signal to the release of Karan Johar upcoming movie Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, the Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association president Nitin Datar has refused to support the movie.

"We are not going to co-operate with release of Karan Johar's movie," Datar told ANI.

The Cinema Owners had earlier announced that its members would no longer screen films starring Pakistani artistes, including actors and music directors.

COEA is the second industry association after Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA) to impose a ban on films starring Pakistani artistes after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, and Shiv Sena campaigned for an end of cultural relations with Pakistan.

However, after a meeting on Saturday, Devendra Fadnavis, Karan Johar and other film fraternity, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray reached a truce and said the producers casting Pakistani actors in their movie will have to pay Rs 5 crore for the Army Welfare Association, giving a green signal to the flick.

"All the producers who have Pakistani artistes in their film will as penance have to pay some money, I suggested Rs 5 crore per film. They will work out the figure now and give the money to the Army Welfare Association," Thackeray said after meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and director of the movie Karan Johar.

After the meeting, the Film and Television Producers Guild of India president Mukesh Bhatt, said that the body will pass a resolution stating that they will not work with Pakistani actors in future.

"I assured the Chief Minister that the Producer's Guild has decided that we will not work with Pakistani artists in the future, it is a resolution and we will pass this resolution," said Mukesh Bhatt after the meeting.

Bhatt also said that keeping the sentiments of the nation first, director Karan Johar has also said that he will run a slate before the movie starts to honour the martyrs.

Karan Johar and Dharma productions upcoming movie 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' has been surrounded with controversies which has received threat from the MNS over featuring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan.

On October 20, the Film and Television Producers Guild of India member met Rajnath Singh, concerning the release of the movie after which filmmaker Mukesh Bhatt said that the government has assured them to provide security to the exhibitor featuring the movie and will try to maintain law and order.

The movie is scheduled to be released on October 28.

After situation between India and Pakistan worsened, many political parties and that Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have been demanding a ban on KJo's film that also stars Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma.