Ashok Pandit reaches out to KJo, urges MNS to allow ADHM's release

Veteran filmmaker Ashok Pandit on Wednesday appealed to the Cinema Owners Exhibitors Association of India (COEAI) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to allow the release of Karan Johar's upcoming film 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'.

The vice-president of Indian Motion Pictures Producers Association (IMPPA) told ANI, "I saw Karan Johar's video and I am really not very happy with his statement reason being that he in his video says that he kept silent for such a long time because he was hurt, because he didn't like the way people called him anti-national and people said that he has no respect for security forces so on and so forth. I don't think anybody in the country called him anti-national."

Pandit, however, asserted that it would have been better had Karan condemned Pakistan for the Uri terror attack.

"Your silence on Uri attack even now and not taking Pakistan's name is still hurting us. But I would like to wish you all the best for your film and we are all with you at the release of the film and we assure that the film will be a great success," he said.

Breaking his silence on the row over his upcoming film, Johar in an emotional video statement yesterday expressed a "deep sense of hurt and pain" by the charges of being anti-national.

"I condemn terror in the strongest terms, I respect our Army, for me, the country comes first," the 44-year-old said.

"The reason why I remained silent is because of a deep sense of pain," he added.

The MNS after imposing the ban on artistes from the neighboring country, in response to the Uri terror attack, had earlier on Monday said that it would intensify its opposition to Johar's film

'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' as it features Pakistani actors and issued a veiled threat of vandalism to the multiplexes if they screened it.

The Mumbai Police, however, yesterday assured protection to the multiplex owners against the MNS threat.