Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan on Sunday said that his Raees co-star, Pakistani actress Mahira Khan, will not come to India to promote the upcoming film.
The news came after Khan met Raj Thackeray, president of right-wing political party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
“Shah Rukh Khan met Thackeray at his residence a short while ago and gave this assurance. He has also committed to not engaging any Pakistani actors in any of his future film ventures,” MNS official Ameya Khopkar said.
After the meeting, the MNS said they would not oppose the release or screening of Raees in cinema halls, he added.
Khan was reportedly concerned by rumours on social media networks that Mahira was likely to come to India next month to promote the film and attend its premiere.
After a September 18 attack in Kashmir that left 19 Indian soldiers dead and the subsequent September 28 strikes by India on Pakistan terror camps, the MNS protested against the hiring of Pakistani actors by Indian filmmakers.
Thackeray had vowed to stop the release of Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which featured Pakistani actor Fawad Khan.
The MNS staged protests prior to the release of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil but finally relented after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis brokered peace with MNS, Johar and the Film and Television Producers Guild of India.
This paved the way for the film’s peaceful release across Maharashtra on October 28.
In 2013, Khan’s Chennai Express ran into trouble with the MNS after it allegedly threatened to yank Marathi films from single-screen cinemas.
Prior to that, Khan’s blockbuster My Name Is Khan had run into trouble with the Shiv Sena but the issue was later amicably sorted out.
Raees releases in UAE cinemas on January 26.