Daily Times

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray warned of action against theatre owners if the Pakistani film, ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’, was released in India on October 2.

He said the movie would not be allowed to screen in Maharashtra. Ahead of the release of the 2022-hit Pakistani film ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ in India on October 2, MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday said the movie would not be released in Maharashtra and warned of action against theatre owners if they allowed its screening.

In a tweet, Raj Thackeray said that while art has no borders, the same does not apply in the case of Pakistani actors working in India.

“Pakistani actor Fawad Khan’s movie titled, ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ is going to be released in India soon. The MNS will not allow the movie to be released in Maharashtra under any circumstances.

Why are films of Pakistani actors allowed to be released in India?” He said.

“And art has no borders, which is fine in other cases, but in the case of Pakistani actors, this will not work at all. Governments should not allow this film to be released in any state of the country, not just Maharashtra,” he added.

Warning of action against theatre owners if they went ahead with the film’s screening despite MNS’s warning, Raj Thackeray said, “Everyone will remember what MNS did when such incidents happened before. Therefore, theatre owners are now humbly requested not to fall into the predicament of screening films.”

“Navratri festival will start around the time when this film will be released. I don’t want any conflict to happen in Maharashtra. The same will not be the desire of the Chief Minister, Home Minister and Director General of Police of the state. And we don’t want any conflict,” he tweeted.

‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’, which stars Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan, was released in Pakistan in 2022 and it became a hit. Upon its release, the film clocked over Rs 400 crore at the global box office. It is a remake of the 1979 cult classic ‘Maula Jatt’.

The film is being released in India by Zee Studios in collaboration with ‘Zindagi’. It would be the first Pakistani movie to be released in India in 13 years since ‘Bol’, which starred Atif Aslam and Humaima Malick, was released in 2011.