MNS stops screening of 'Wake Up Sid', relents after apology

Mumbai, Oct 2 (PTI) Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS)
supporters on Friday stopped the screening of Karan Johar's
new film 'Wake Up Sid' in some cinema halls here objecting to
the use of word 'Bombay' instead of 'Mumbai' in the movie,
forcing the filmmaker to apologise to MNS chief Raj Thackeray.

After MNS activists asked the cinema hall owners to stop
the screening of the movie, 37-year-old Johar drove to
Thackeray's residence in central Mumbai for a 20-minute
meeting with him following which he said, "It was a genuine
mistake on our part...Henceforth, we will use Mumbai instead
of Bombay. We have apologised for the same."

"We had no intention to hurt anyone's feelings. We will
put a disclaimer in the film (over the name Mumbai, instead of
Bombay)," he told reporters here.

Johar, who has produced the film, said "The city of
Mumbai is referred to as Bombay in a conversation between
Ranbir and Konkona, some 12 times (in the movie). I explained
to him that the error happened because of the colloquial
parlance used in the film and he understood the point."

Asked if this was a publicity stunt, Johar said, "There
are several other marketing platforms for publicity of the
film. This was not a publicity stunt."

Thackeray told reporters after the meeting with Johar
that the film industry, henceforth, should be careful while
taking the name of Mumbai in any film.

He said the protest was withdrawn after Johar's apology
and assurance to make the necessary changes in the movie.
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