Click to play videoMumbai: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) supremo Raj Thackeray has a problem with some scenes from Jab We Met - not because it's vulgar in anyway but because it says Bombay instead of Mumbai.
Apart from a ban on the use of the word 'Bombay', Raj also doesn't want any Maharashtrian characters to be shown in lowly-paid jobs like bais (maids) in movies. Though the industry has so far largely remained silent on Raj Thackeray's diktats, there have been a few voices of protest.
Producer Mukesh Bhatt says, "Since when has he (Raj Thackeray) developed this fantasy of being the head of the censor board? He's a politician and he should remain that because this is not his jurisdiction. No filmmaker wants to degrade a community. He is not so foolish to think so. I think this is barking up the wrong tree."
The MNS has already recently made a formal entry into the film industry by forming a new union for artistes and technicians called the MNS Cine Workers Association which is reportedly supported by actors like Nana Patekar and Suniel Shetty, though none of them were present at the launch of the association.
After his verbal attack on Amitabh Bachchan, Raj Thackeray's attempts as acting as an unofficial censor may not go down well with the industry, but question is - will Bollywood react to this new threat to creative freedom?
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