The tussle surrounding Pakistani artists working in India has claimed the very first victim in Mahira Khan. In the wake of the anti-Pakistan wave in the country, Pakistani actor Mahira Khan has reportedly been shown the door from Shah Rukh Khan featured ‘Raees.’
If rumours are to be believed, Pakistani actor Mahira Khan has been dropped off Shah Rukh Khan starrer ‘Raees,’ which is a gangster drama directed by Rahul Dholakia is set to release on Republic Day, next year.
According to a report in DNA, a ‘reliable source’ has confirmed that the makers of ‘Raees’ are now looking to replace Mahira Khan.
“It was a very painful decision for producer Ritesh Sidhwani to take. The pressure to replace her had been building up for months. It reached a crescendo after the Uri attacks. It came to a point where it became impossible to shoot with any Pakistani. People suggested all kinds of solutions to the impasse, including shooting in Dubai. But it didn’t seem viable. Now, Mahira has unfortunately been relieved of her duties,” the source was quoted as saying.
Following the terror attacks in Uri on September 18, which resulted in the death of 19 Indian soldiers, several groups including Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), began clamouring for Pakistani artists working in India to leave the country and even threatened to ‘beat up’ Pakistani artists working in India along with those that hire them.
Producer’s hunt for the new face begins now
Now Farhan Akhtar’s Excel Entertainment and Gauri Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment (Makers of the movie) will have to look for a new actor to replace the Mahira’s space in the movie.
“The ‘Raees’ team needs to find a new girl in two weeks’ time,” the source told the website.
Reportedly based on real-life Gujarati gangster Abdul Latif, Rahul Dholakia’s Raees is set in ’80s Gujarat and revolves around a bootlegger (Shah Rukh Khan) who is pitted against a police officer (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). Mahira Khan was supposed to play the bootlegger’s wife.
