Rajnath Singh assures safe release of film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

NEW DELHI: Film and Television Producers Guild of India president Mukesh Bhatt and Apoorva Mehta, CEO of Dharma Productions, which has produced the Hindi movie Ae Dil Hai Mushkil starring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday to demand security for theatres that would screen the movie.

Home minister Rajnath Singh is learned to have assured the Producers Guild of providing security to the multiplexes and theatres that would screen the movie.

Bhatt said the Home Minister had assured a safe Diwali release of the film.

The controversy started after Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) said they would not let any movie featuring Pakistani artistes release in India.

Johar had earlier made a fervent appeal against stalling the release, saying he will not engage with talent from Pakistan in future.

The Maharashtra government has, however, assured protection to cinemas where the film will be screened from Diwali weekend.

After the meeting, Bhatt said, “We are entertainers. We are interested in working with artistes and not whether they belong to Pakistan, China or Africa. But the film isn’t releasing just in Mumbai.

We want to safeguard ourselves, so who better than the Home Minister? It is his domain.” Bhatt said, “India is a free country, but at least you should not stop people and then stop people violently.

That is something I feel that the government of today should have zero tolerance towards violence.”