All Pakistani artists have left Mumbai, will hunt down whoever is still left: MNS

September 25, 2016

Mumbai, Sep 25: Asserting that all Pakistani artists have left Mumbai following their 48-hour ultimatum, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on Sunday continued to stay firm on their stand that no artist from the neighbouring nation will be allowed to work in Mumbai, adding that if anyone is still “hiding” in the city, they will be hunted down.

pakactors

Speaking to the media here, MNS leader Amey Khopkar, chief of the MNS's cinema workers' unit Chitrapat Karamchari Sena confirmed that all Pakistani artists have left the city.

“The 48 hours are over and the Pakistani artists are not in Mumbai anymore. Zee has decided to shut down its channel ‘Zee Zindagi’ where they show Pakistani shows and I want to thank them for that,” he said.

Thanking various T.V. shows and radio channels for responding to their call by discontinuing Pakistani actors and artists from their shows, Khopkar further said that he will ensure that they do not return to the city.

“You can be rest assured that they have left, but if any Pakistani artist is still left in the city and is hiding, we will hunt them down and throw them out of Mumbai,” he added.

This development comes at a time of heightened tensions between the two nations after four terrorists killed 18 Army personnel at an Army camp in Uri region.

India has blamed Pakistan for the attack as probe agencies reportedly recovered weapons and ammunition bearing Pakistani insignia from the site.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena has also targeted the promotions of Fawad Khan's 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' and Mahira Khan's 'Raees', saying that filmmakers and producers 'should not cast Pakistanis in their films'.

The Bollywood industry, however, is fuming over this move by the MNS and has vented its anger and frustration, calling on the party to keep politics away from art and culture.

Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh said actors have always been the first ones to be targeted, no matter whatever the agenda is.

“Artists are like soft targets, which is very unfortunate. The concentration is somewhere else and this is not the solution to it. If this was the solution then fair enough, but this is not the solution,” said the 37-year-old actor.

Echoing similar sentiments, actor Sushant Singh Rajput said that politics and art should not interfere in each other's work.

The MNS workers’ association on Friday said they would not allow the release of ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushqil’ and ‘Raees’ as the movies feature Pakistani actors while giving a 48-hour deadline to the stars from the other side of the border to leave India.

Khopkar warned Pakistani actors that they would face serious consequences in India if they do not leave the nation within 48 hours.

“We give a 48-hour deadline to Pakistani actors and artists to leave India or the MNS will push them out,” said Khopkar.

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Well done MNS

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COVID-19: Salman Khan begins process of transferring funds to daily wage workers

News Network

April 8,2020

Mumbai, Apr 8: Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has started the process of transferring funds into the accounts of daily wage workers of the film industry, the Federation of Western Indian Cine Employees (FWICE) said on Wednesday.

The actor had recently pledged to financially support 25,000 daily wage workers who have been badly hit by the 21-day lockdown to contain the coronavirus spread in the country.

According to B N Tiwari, FWICE, President, Salman has made an initial payment of Rs 3,000 each to the daily wage workers of the film industry, starting Tuesday.

"We had given him the final list of 23,000 workers so far, who were in dire need of financial help. He is going to transfer money in installments as he doesn't want people to misuse it. He has transferred about Rs 3,000 to every worker yesterday and he will transfer money again after some time. We are thankful to him for helping our workers," Tiwari told PTI.

A source close to Salman said the superstar will continue to support the workers until the situation improves in the country.

"We have started the process from Tuesday. We will be giving sufficient money to workers monthly, we will also give money next month and if the situation is still the same, we will continue to financially help the workers till it doesn't return to normalcy," the source said.

FWICE said Yash Raj Films have also provided a financial help of Rs 5,000 to around 3,000 workers.

"Besides Salman, a lot of people from Bollywood have come forward to help the workers, including Ajay Devgn and Rohit Shetty, who have given Rs 51 lakh each. Boney Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor too have given money and there are few more who have offered financial assistance to the federation. We also received Rs 1.5 crore from the Producers Guild of India on Tuesday.

"The federation has received a total amount of Rs 3 crore from film industry people. We are yet to receive money from Netflix, which they had announced for daily wage earners and also from Amitabh Bachchan, who is going to provide ration to one lakh workers. He is going to provide coupons which we should receive in a day or two," Tiwari said.

He further said Bachchan's ration coupon for workers will also be given to other associations across the country, such as in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Karnataka.

Tiwari said FWICE is in the process of making another list of needy workers and then they will begin the process of transferring money.

"The Rs 3 crore that the federation has received will be distributed among our five lakh workers in Maharashtra. We will start sending money from April 14 in phases. Those who haven't received any financial aid will be helped first. We are in the process of making a list of such workers for the same," Tiwari said.

"FWICE has also begun distributing ration to workers in suburban Andheri and Jogeshwari. So far we have distributed 5,000 packets of ration and we will give more, he added.

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