Mumbai:Amid tension in the wake of Uri terror attack, the Raj Thackeray-led MNS today asked Pakistani artistes like Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan to leave India immediately, failing which the shooting of their movies will be stalled.

The party wrote an open letter to Bollywood producers and production houses, asking them why they need to rope in actors from the neighbouring country when enough talent is available in India.

Actors like Mahira Khan (featuring in Shah Rukh Khan- starrer ‘Raees’) and “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil” star Fawad are hijacking the opportunities of Indian artistes, MNS General Secretary Shalini Thackeray told a press conference here.

In Karan Johar’s “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil”, slated to release next month, Fawad is in a supporting role, while Mahira essays the lead role opposite SRK in “Raees”, which will mark her Bollywood debut.

Mumbai Police, however, assured the actors they need not worry as they will be given protection.

“They (Pakistanis) don’t give our people any respect in their country. Pakistani artists don’t earn anything in their country but in India they get name, fame and money. After all this, their government funds terror activities in India, this is completely unacceptable,” Thackeray said.

Thackeray, along with President of the party’s cinema wing, Amay Khopkar, released copies of the open letter to the media. The letter questions Indian producers’ “love” for Pakistani artistes.

“In a country of 1.25 billion people, where lakhs and crores struggle for an opportunity to be launched in movies, why you have so much affection for the Pakistani artistes? Do you want to say that our actors do not have requisite talent? This is akin to insulting our country,” the letter read.

Thackeray lambasted the NDA government for not dealing with Pakistan in a “stern” manner.

Speaking to PTI, she said, “The current government has been only giving assurances that they will deal sternly with Pakistan, but unfortunately nothing has happened so far.”

“All foreign nationals who land in the country with valid documents issued by Government of India and the Government of Maharashtra need not worry,” Joint Commissioner of Police (law and order) Deven Bharti said.

Johar’s Dharma Productions, which has produced “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil”, said it has to understand the issue before commenting on it.

“We have not come across anything yet. If there is an issue, we need to understand the matter first, so we cannot comment anything,” an official from Dharma Productions said.

The calls and messages to the makers of “Raees” did not elicit any response.

Heavily armed militants stormed the headquarters of the Army in North Kashmir’s Uri town in the wee hours of September 18, killing 18 jawans and injuring 19 other personnel in the terror strike in which four ultras were neutralised.

PTI