Not releasing 'Total Dhamaal' in Pakistan our way of protest: Director

Filmmaker Indra Kumar says it was his team's decision to prevent the release of "Total Dhamaal" in Pakistan.

On Monday, the cast of the third installment of 'Dhamaal' franchise, announced that movie will not release in Pakistan in the wake of terror attack on CRPF jawans in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama.

Standing by the decision,Indra Kumar told IANS: "Being a part of Indian film industry, it's my and my team's way of protest against the heinous terror attack.

"It's our way of supporting our nation in hard time. Why should we release our movie in a country which is attacking our people?"

"The whole team including actors Anil Kapoor, Madhuri Dixit Nene, Ajay Devgn and Riteish Deshmukh, mutually decided and came to the conclusion of abandoning the release of the film in Pakistan," he added.

Asked if he really feels that film trade with Pakistan must stop completely, he said: "I never want the two nations to fight or have hatred against each other. I always wish for peace but now looking at the situation, looking at those young martyrs and their families, how can I talk about trade with that nation.

"People are angry and their anger is justified. I am with my countrymen and to support them... I am not releasing my film in Pakistan."

The director also has high hopes from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Modiji is a great leader. I am sure he will find out some way," he added.

Apart from cancelling the release of the film in Pakistan, the team of "Total Dhamaal" has donated Rs 50 lakh to the families of the jawans who lost their lives in the attack.

In the worst terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir since militancy erupted in the state in 1989, a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber on February 14 rammed his vehicle packed with explosives into a CRPF bus on the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Pulwama district, killing 40 troopers.

--IANS

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