“We gave a 48-hour deadline to Pakistani actors and artists to leave India or MNS will push them out”. MNS Chitrapat Sena’s President Amey Khopker issued this statement on Friday, 23rd September as a response to Uri Attack allegedly by Pakistan. This statement has come in the time when India and Pakistan relations are facing severe stress  due to the attack in Uri, that left 18 Indian soldiers dead.

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Chitrapat Sena is the film wing of MNS, a political party led by Raj Thackeray. The ultimatum is aimed at Pakistani actors and musicians which includes Fawad Khan, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Mahira Khan and Ali Zafar among various others. They have even threatened to disrupt shootings on the sets if they continue to work.

“We have started dashing off letters to Pakistani actors, whose country is allegedly sponsoring terrorism, to stop their acting business here.”, Shalini Thackeray, General Secretary of MNS said. “We would also issue letters to the producers on what grounds they are hiring the Pakistani actors, when there are ample number of actors here in the country and struggling to find an opportunity”, she added.

Fawad Khan, who is already a heartthrob in India and Mahira Khan are the major targets of MNS this time. Fawad Khan’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, a Karan Johar directorial is all set to release this Diwali. Whereas Mahira Khan is all set to make her Indian debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Raees’.

MNS-warns-Pakistan-actors-Leave-India-within-48-hours-or-get-thrown-outThe whole nation is infuriated aftermath the Uri attack; but MNS’s immature stance against Pakistan is not new. Earlier in January this year, the legendary Ghazal maestro, Ghulam Ali’s concert had to be called off due to the stern protests by MNS. The protests were later joined by its rival  party Shiv Sena too. The concert was to happen in Mumbai a month after Pathankot attack. Last year in October, MNS didn’t allow the screening of Mahira Khan starrer film ‘Bin Roye’ in Maharastra. Prominent singer, Asha Bhosle was also not spared. Raj Thackeray slammed her for working with Pakistani singers on a TV show.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena also has the backing of singer Abhijeet Bhattacharya in this case. He bashed out against Karan Johar and Mahesh Bhatt for hiring Pakistani talents for their films. He is also repeatedly tweeting in support to #KickoutPakis. A war on Twitter has also begun! Some are raising their voices to kick out Pakistanis from India in the name of nationalism. Whereas others do not believe that sending out Paki artists is any solution against continuous terror attacks on India by Pakistan.

MNS has also suddenly turned sympathetic about thousands of Indian actors who struggle hard to find opportunity. Their General Secretary asks, why to hire Pakistani actors and musicians when you have ample amount of talent within the country itself? Well, if this is the case, Hollywood also has a lot of talent! Why do we go gaga  when we hear about Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone working with them? To help deserving talented actors who are struggling to get work is a good idea! But why by kicking out Pakistani actors? We need to understand the fact art is not bounded by boundaries. Art is universal.

But unfortunately, we Indians are too used to of dividing everything on the basis of caste, color and creed. Now art will also be divided. These artists are not the ones who bomb plants and kill our army men at the border! Rather they are the people who tell Pakistanis that India is the place to be. If the sportsmen, singer and film actors of Pakistan migrate to India, it will send a strong message to Pakistan to become a democratic and healthy country like India and not a terrorist infested haven like Pakistan There is difference!