Rajnath Singh to meet Karan Johar, other filmmakers over Pak actors row

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh plans to meet a group of movie producers, including Karan Johar, on 20 October amid controversy over the release of Johar's film, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

The producers' group reportedly made an appointment to meet the home minister on 19 October. "We need to know where we stand," producer Mukesh Bhatt told NDTV.

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Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena had demanded that Pakistani actors be banned from India. The MNS has also threatened to vandalise the theatres that screen films with Pakistani artistes.

The MNS' demand comes in the wake of the Uri terrorist attack.

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On 18 October, Johar released a video statement where he said that he would not work with Pakistani actors in the future.

"Going forward I would like to say of course I will not engage talent from neighbouring country given the circumstance. With that same energy I beseech you to know one thing, that over 300 Indian people in my crew have put their blood, sweat and tears in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and I don't think it's fair to them to face any kind of turbulence on account of other fellow Indians," the 45-year-old filmmaker said in the video.

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He said he felt a "deep sense of hurt and pain" that people thought he was anti-national. "When I shot my film in September-December last year, the climate was completely different, circumstances were different. There were efforts made by our government for peaceful relationships with the neighbouring country and I respected those efforts then, and I respect the sentiment today... because I feel the same," he said.

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The government has not yet taken any official stand on the issue yet.