The leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), which is India’s Hindu nationalist party, issued a strong warning yesterday after reportedly saying that his party will not allow the release of the Pakistani film The Legend of Maula Jatt in Maharashtra.
According to Indian media reports, Thackeray said that his party will not let the film be screened in Maharashtra because India and Pakistan are at odds.
Through his statement, Thackeray opposed cultural exchanges with Pakistan, especially at a time when the geopolitical tension between India and Pakistan prevailed. Admitting that art transcends borders, he clarified that this principle would not apply to Pakistani films or artists.
He appealed to the cinema owners in Maharashtra that they should not screen the movie, insisting that if the movie was screened anywhere, his party would severely react, particularly during the Navratri festival in the coming days.
Thackeray appealed to the Indian government not to let this film release in every Indian state, but his focus is still on Maharashtra.
Maula Jatt is a remake of the 1979 classic, and this remake includes Pakistani stars Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, and Hamza Ali Abbasi. This movie will be launched in Punjab, India, on October 2, 2024.
