Thaindian News

By Subhash K. Jha
Mumbai, Feb 16 (IANS) During a television appearance, filmmaker Priyadarshan called the conflict between the Shiv Sena and Shah Rukh Khan a publicity stunt, but he now says he has been quoted out of context and would like to apologise to the actor as well as director Karan Johar.

Following his comment, Priyadarshan has apparently been put on the ‘block’ list of many important cellphones in Mumbai.

But he says: “I was quoted out of context. I’d never speak like that about Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar. They’ve both been very nice to me. If I’ve hurt either of them I apologize to them publicly, and would like to add that in any conflict between filmmakers and politicians, I’d naturally and inevitably support my own fraternity.”

The Shiv Sena has been targeting Shah Rukh and Karan’s film “My Name Is Khan” after the actor spoke against the exclusion of Pakistani cricketers from the Indian Premier League.

Priyadarshan wanted to call his new film with Ajay Devgn, Bipasha Basu and Akshay Khanna “Ishaq”. But he found out that a film titled “Ishqiya” is already out.

“Vishal Bhardwaj beat me to it!” laughs Priyadarshan. “He took the title ‘Ishqiya’. And once that was out, there was no point in calling my film ‘Ishaq’. So we’ve named it ‘Garam Hawa’ after M.S. Sathyu’s classic.”

Priyadarshan hopes to live up to the title of Sathyu’s film. “I’m not such a bad filmmaker, you know. If I’m the director of ‘De Dana Dan’, I also made ‘Kancheevaram’.”