LOL! Gajendra Chauhan 'replaces' Fawad Khan in 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'

Writer Sumit Purohit creates hilarious video to laugh in the face of right-wingers who want Pakistani actors banned from Hindi cinema

Gajendra Chauhan's face superimposed on Fawad Khan in a still from the spoof, with Anushka Sharma

With the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) refusing to budge from its stand of banning the release of Bollywood films featuring Pakistani actors, the fate of Karan Johar's Fawad Khan-starrer, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, remains undecided.

In the midst of unconfirmed reports of the director considering "face replacement technology" to replace the Pakistani actor's face with Saif Ali Khan's, Sumit Purohit, writer of Karan Anshuman's 2015 satire Bangistan, has found a more suitable replacement —controversial right wing FTII chairman Gajendra Chauhan.

Discussing the "futility" of the ongoing controversy, Purohit told hitlist that he decided to create a spoof trailer of Johar's film, by replacing Fawad's mugshot with Gajendra's, while he mouths, "Mohabbat karta hoon main tumse" to Anushka Sharma. While the video may be Purohit's light-hearted take on the news, the political climate is concerning.

Fawad and Anushka in the original still from Ae Dil Hai Mushkil

"We've come to terms with being dictated by Chauhan and Pahlaj Nihalani (chairman, Central Board of Film Certification), who constantly support the government's decision, whether or not the decisions are taken by people qualified to do so, but we're not okay with featuring a celebrated actor like Fawad Khan in our films. If this is what the government wants, then my trailer is an insight into how our films would look if they had their way," says Purohit.

Using the ongoing tension at the border to brand every Pakistani an India-hater is like saying, everyone from a city where a rape occurs, is a rapist, he argues. "If we create this sort of cultural hole, aren't we supporting separatists in their endeavour to create a rift?" he wonders. Purohit cites the time when Winston Churchill was asked to move funds allocated for the arts and culture towards war. "He very simply asked, 'What are we fighting for then?' That really drives the point home, doesn't it?"

Politicians had earlier demanded that Pak actors would do well to take a stand on the September 18 Uri attacks, and Fawad had maintained a long silence. Purohit asks, "Must actors have an opinion on everything? Besides, everyone condemns terrorism. Is that even something that needs to be raised?"

WATCH VIDEO:

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!