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Raj Thackeray’s MNS will not derail Shah Rukh Khan’s Chennai Express

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has withdrawn its threat of stopping the release of Shah Rukh Khan starrer Chennai Express after film’s director Rohit Shetty met MNS chief Raj Thackeray.

The party’s film unit was unhappy with reports that the film’s prime slots in statewide single cinemas were going to affect the screening of some Marathi movies. They had threatened to tear the posters and stop the screening on August 9.

"Rohit Shetty and UTV officials today met Raj Thackeray regarding this issue and they have sorted it out. Now, single screen theatres will not remove Marathi films to accommodate Chennai Express. After this agreement, we have called off our protest," Amay Khopkar, leader of MNS Cine Workers Association, told PTI.

MNS was upset with reports that Sanjay Jadhav’s hit Marathi film Duniyadari was being removed from single screens to make way for the release of Chennai Express.

Duniyadari has been running successfully in single screen cinemas since July 19This is not the first time that regional and Bollywood films have clashed at the box office.

Director Shivaji Lotan Patil, who bagged the National Award for Best Director for his Marathi film Dhag, said, "We have been facing this problem from quite sometime. Marathi films face the burnt whenever there is a big release."

Earlier News:

Raj Thackeray’s MNS threatens Shah Rukh Khan’s Chennai Express

Rohit Shetty’s Chennai Express which is currently in news for its extensive promotions has been facing trouble from the political party Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). The party is miffed with the makers of the film for booking all the time slots in single screens, as this would mean that the regional Marathi movies will take a backseat.

The film which was recently postponed owing to the Eid celebrations, apparently poses as a threat to new Marathi films releasing and also to the ones like Duniyadari which are still running in full houses in non metro cities and small towns. MNS film wing Chief Amey Khopkar recently stated that if the makers are not ready to take action, then his team will soon remove the publicity posters from Maharashtra.

However, in order to resolve the matter, Rohit Shetty, director of Chennai Express, UTV productions team and the team of the Marathi film Duniyadari will meet with the MNS president Raj Thackeray at the latter’s residence at 12.30 pm today.