Karan Johar gets wake call from MNS

Filmmaker Karan Johar got a rude wake-up call on Friday when Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists protested the use of Bombay instead of Mumbai in his latest movie Wake Up Sid as soon as it was released.

Directed by Ayan Mukerji, the film, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma, is the latest offering from Dharma Productions Pvt Ltd.

Even as angry activists vociferously protested the movie and tried to disrupt its screening in at least two south Mumbai cinemas, a harried Karan rushed to meet MNS chief Raj Thackeray at his Shivaji Park residence.

"He has tendered an unconditional apology for this faux pas which the party has taken serious note of," MNS vice-president Vageesh Saraswat said.

Emerging from the meeting a short while ago, an aggressive Raj said that such things (using Bombay instead of Mumbai) would not be tolerated and Karan has realised his mistake.

"He has sought time from us to rectify the error. We shall wait for three-four days before the next step," Raj told mediapersons outside his residence.

To a query, he said that not only the directors, but all persons connected with filmmaking and other fields must ensure that Mumbai is used in place of Bombay.

"When the names of other cities like Delhi and Chennai are not changed, why should Mumbai be change to Bombay?" he thundered.

Reacting on the incidence, Karan said, "It was a genuine mistake on our part...henceforth, we will use Mumbai instead of Bombay. We have apologised for the same."

Asked if this was a publicity stunt, Karan said, "There are several other marketing platforms for publicity of the film. This was not a publicity stunt. We will put a disclaimer in the film (over the name Mumbai, instead of Bombay,)" he said.

Wake Up Sid has been released in 42 cinema halls in Mumbai alone and another 150 in the rest of Maharashtra, according to an industry analyst.