If Mahira Khan is dropped from Raees, she will just add to the several other changes that the MNS's call to ban Pakistani artists is doing to upcoming films.
It was in the fall of 2014 that Mahira Khan was introduced to the Indian audience through her much-popular Pakistani TV show Humsafar. Her acting prowess and beauty bowled us all over and soon enough, she became Bollywood's new sweetheart.
Within a few months, the popular Pakistani actor landed her first Bollywood role, opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Rahul Dholakia's Raees. After much hype, when this 33-year-old actor was looking forward to her debut in one of the best launchpads Bollywood could give her, her Hindi film dream seems to have been crushed brutally by the MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena). The aftermath of the September 18 Uri attack has left Mahira's fate in the Hindi film industry in a limbo. With the ever escalating India-Pakistan tension at an all-time high now, the MNS has asked filmmakers to boycott Pakistani artists, in addition to threatening Pak artists to leave the country. The MNS has even threatened to 'beat up' filmmakers who continue to or hire Pakistani artists for their films.
And Mahira is one of the several victims of the MNS's threats. Since a few parts of Raees are yet to be shot, the makers are apparently considering replacing her with another Bollywood actor.
According to a report in DNA, the makers of Raees are hunting for a face to replace Mahira Khan's. A source was quoted as telling the daily, "It was a very painful decision for producer Ritesh Sidhwani to take. The pressure to replace her had been building up for months. It reached a crescendo after the Uri attack. It came to a point where it became impossible to shoot with any Pakistani artist. People suggested all kinds of solutions to the impasse, including shooting in Dubai. But it didn't seem viable. Now, Mahira has unfortunately been relieved of her duties."
However, there has been no official confirmation from the makers yet.
While the MNS's threats are forcing the makers of Raees to re-think Mahira's debut with the film, rumour has it that Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is also being tweaked.
Fawad Khan's face being replaced with Saif's in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil?
With only a few days left for Ae Dil Hai Mushkil to hit the screens, the tension in the air is palpable. After MNS has threatened to beat up Karan Johar in the streets if he continues with Fawad Khan's presence in the film, the makers are in a fix. The film is locked for a Diwali 2016 release, and there is not much time to replace Fawad in the film now. There were reports that the makers are thinking of using dace-replacement technology to swap Fawad's face with that of Saif Ali Khan. But that doesn't seem to be happening. However, reports are doing the rounds that Karan is planning to tweak the parts involving Fawad.
Characters of Aishwarya and Anushka in ADHM
Not just this, Johar's leading ladies in the film Anushka Sharma and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who play young Pakistani women in ADHM, will also undergo some changes. If reports are to be believed, the script is being tweaked in a way that they no longer play Pakistani citizens, but Muslim girls from Lucknow. And Fawad's cameo might be snipped a little more.
Location shift for Nandita Das's Manto
The Indo-Pak tension has also played a dampener for Nandita Das's film on poet and writer Saadat Hasan Manto. Actor-turned-filmmaker Nandita Das planned to shoot a few portions of her film in Lahore, Pakistan, but that doesn't seem to have been happening any longer owing to the growing discord between India and Pakistan. And she is now planning to shoot those portions in India only.
She was quoted as telling Mumbai Mirror, "We all know that Manto spent three-fourth of his life in India but had to leave Bombay, the city he loved, and spent only his last seven years in Lahore. So, to maintain authenticity, we did have plans to shoot in Lahore. But considering the present situation between the two countries, we will need to shoot those portions somewhere in India. We are looking at several options. I have recently returned (to Mumbai) from a recce in Delhi."
It was in the fall of 2014 that Mahira Khan was introduced to the Indian audience through her much-popular Pakistani TV show Humsafar. Her acting prowess and beauty bowled us all over and soon enough, she became Bollywood's new sweetheart.
Within a few months, the popular Pakistani actor landed her first Bollywood role, opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Rahul Dholakia's Raees. After much hype, when this 33-year-old actor was looking forward to her debut in one of the best launchpads Bollywood could give her, her Hindi film dream seems to have been crushed brutally by the MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena). The aftermath of the September 18 Uri attack has left Mahira's fate in the Hindi film industry in a limbo. With the ever escalating India-Pakistan tension at an all-time high now, the MNS has asked filmmakers to boycott Pakistani artists, in addition to threatening Pak artists to leave the country. The MNS has even threatened to 'beat up' filmmakers who continue to or hire Pakistani artists for their films.
And Mahira is one of the several victims of the MNS's threats. Since a few parts of Raees are yet to be shot, the makers are apparently considering replacing her with another Bollywood actor.
According to a report in DNA, the makers of Raees are hunting for a face to replace Mahira Khan's. A source was quoted as telling the daily, "It was a very painful decision for producer Ritesh Sidhwani to take. The pressure to replace her had been building up for months. It reached a crescendo after the Uri attack. It came to a point where it became impossible to shoot with any Pakistani artist. People suggested all kinds of solutions to the impasse, including shooting in Dubai. But it didn't seem viable. Now, Mahira has unfortunately been relieved of her duties."
However, there has been no official confirmation from the makers yet.
While the MNS's threats are forcing the makers of Raees to re-think Mahira's debut with the film, rumour has it that Karan Johar's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil is also being tweaked.
Fawad Khan's face being replaced with Saif's in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil?
With only a few days left for Ae Dil Hai Mushkil to hit the screens, the tension in the air is palpable. After MNS has threatened to beat up Karan Johar in the streets if he continues with Fawad Khan's presence in the film, the makers are in a fix. The film is locked for a Diwali 2016 release, and there is not much time to replace Fawad in the film now. There were reports that the makers are thinking of using dace-replacement technology to swap Fawad's face with that of Saif Ali Khan. But that doesn't seem to be happening. However, reports are doing the rounds that Karan is planning to tweak the parts involving Fawad.
Characters of Aishwarya and Anushka in ADHM
Not just this, Johar's leading ladies in the film Anushka Sharma and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who play young Pakistani women in ADHM, will also undergo some changes. If reports are to be believed, the script is being tweaked in a way that they no longer play Pakistani citizens, but Muslim girls from Lucknow. And Fawad's cameo might be snipped a little more.
Location shift for Nandita Das's Manto
The Indo-Pak tension has also played a dampener for Nandita Das's film on poet and writer Saadat Hasan Manto. Actor-turned-filmmaker Nandita Das planned to shoot a few portions of her film in Lahore, Pakistan, but that doesn't seem to have been happening any longer owing to the growing discord between India and Pakistan. And she is now planning to shoot those portions in India only.
She was quoted as telling Mumbai Mirror, "We all know that Manto spent three-fourth of his life in India but had to leave Bombay, the city he loved, and spent only his last seven years in Lahore. So, to maintain authenticity, we did have plans to shoot in Lahore. But considering the present situation between the two countries, we will need to shoot those portions somewhere in India. We are looking at several options. I have recently returned (to Mumbai) from a recce in Delhi."
0 comments:
Post a Comment