Raj Thackeray 'permits' airing of show featuring Pakistani artists

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray today allowed airing of the show 'Sur Kshetra' featuring Pakistani artists after meeting producers of the channels, party officials said.

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray (File pic)

Earlier this week, Thackeray had reiterated the party's threat to disrupt shooting of the show stating that he does not favour the same.

The show will go on air Saturday on Colors and Sahara channels simultaneously. The music reality show will have two teams - one is mentored by Indian composer Himesh Reshammiya and the Pakistani team will have Atif Aslam as their guru.

Indian singing legend Asha Bhosle, popular Bangladeshi crooner Runa Laila and acclaimed Pakistani Sufi singer Abida Parveen are judges on the show.

Asha Bhosle (File pic)

Raj Nayak, CEO of Colors and Boney Kapoor, director of Sahara One Media and Entertainment Ltd, met Thackeray today and requested him saying that they have already shot many episodes.

"We met with Mr Thackeray and told him that we have shot over 15 episodes of the show and that we are really looking forward to air the show as scheduled," Kapoor told media persons after the meeting.

Thackeray told them that he stands by his views and that it is wrong to entertain Pakistani artists when Indians are not welcomed in their country. He, however, gave them the green signal to air the show, a party official said.

"Both Boney Kapoor and Raj Nayak met Raj Thackeray and requested him not to disrupt the show's airing or its subsequent shooting. Raj saab, however, said that he will surely give them a go ahead, but they should ask their souls whether or not it is right to entertain Pakistani artists, while Indians are not welcome in Pakistan," said Shalini Thackeray, secretary of Maharashtra Navnirman Chitrapat Karmachari Sena (MNCKS), the film wing of MNS.u00a0