07 October,2009 09:31 AM IST | | Amul Sharma
Filmmaker, 300 others, will resort to Gandhigiri at Thackeray's home on Saturday to protest the ruckusu00a0MNS created over use of 'Bombay' in Karan Johar film
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta will lead a 300-strong, if not more, protest march to MNS president Raj Thackeray's Dadar home in empathy with fellow director, Karan Johar on Saturday.
Mehta said he was affronted by the manner in which the Wake Up Sid producer, arguably one of the most powerful names in Bollywood, had to apologise to Thackeray foru00a0using the word Bombay in his film, instead of Mumbai. On October 2, when the film was released, MNS men threatened to disrupt screenings across the city, unless Johar apologised, which he did, the same day.
Chief Minister Ashok Chavan went on record to say that the state was perfectly capable of providing security to Karan Johar, and that the apology was just a publicity stunt.
Disclaimer
Though the word Bombay remains in the film, there is a disclaimer at the start of the movie, which says that
That night, Mehta wrote a piece on a blog website passionforcinema.com, titled Get well soon. "I spent last night reliving the horror of nine years ago. I spent a sleepless night. I was tormented by visions of my cowardice. I awoke to find my being filled with anger. One more filmmaker bites the dust. They persecuted me.
I apologised. They harassed the Bachchans. They apologised. They threatened Karan Johar. He apologised."
When the blog got an overwhelming response, Mehta decided to ask people to join him in a walk to Thackeray's Dadar residence in a show of strength with 'Get Well Soon' cards and flowers.
"I want to tackle this problem the way Sanjay Dutt did in Lage Raho Munnabhai. Over 300 people have joined the group and many have agreed to walk with me," said Mehta. "It will be a peaceful procession. It will be a symbolic gesture and I want to keep it at that. But finally, even if I am the only man walking up to Raj's house on Saturday, I will still do it."
Hansal added that the main problem with this kind of behaviour was that it "suppressed our freedom of speech and expression. How can you live in a democracy like India and not feel free? That is the worst kind of violation of your rights," he said.
Interestingly, Mehta does not even know Karan Johar. "No, I haven't spoken to him as I don't know him personally." Johar, who is abroad, was not available for comment.
Mehta said it was only because he was scared earlier that their behaviour continues. "Because we are scared they use our fear against us. Our fear is their biggest weapon," he said.
Hansal's last run-in with Raj
"Nine years ago after the release of Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar, I was subjected to humiliation by the moral police from some wing of the Shiv Sena, headed by Raj Thackeray. His touts vandalised my office. They thrashed me. They coloured my face black. I was summoned to Khar Danda and made to apologise in front of over 20,000 people and 10 MPs, MLAs and local politicians. I was made to touch the feet of a lady in the village to make amends for my mistake. My mistake? An innocuous line of dialogue from my film, misinterpreted, misunderstood and twisted. They had not even seen the film save a couple of them who viewed a pirated VCD and smelt a great opportunity for titillation. Some called me a coward. Some called me spineless."u00a0
- Hansal Mehta in his blog
Read the entire blog onu00a0-u00a0 https://bit.ly/2fY2el
Theu00a0B word
The word Bombay occupies a few seconds of screen time. The hero Ranbir Kapoor meets Konkona for the first time and the two go for a walk. She is new to the city and Ranbir tells her, 'Everyone keeps cribbing about the Bombay rains, but I love Bombay rains the most'.
Raj arrest warrant
An arrest warrant was issued yesterday against MNS chief Raj Thackeray for making alleged 'hate speeches against Biharis' by a Bihar court. The Mumbai police commissioner now has to produce Raj before the court on November 2.
