New Delhi, Feb. 27: Moves are afoot for a meeting between superstar Shah Rukh Khan and the Shiv Sena heavyweights, including Balasaheb Thackeray and his son Uddhav. Both camps are in the mood to “forget” and “get past” events that had somewhat marred
relations, sources disclosed. “Nothing is going to happen fast, but both camps will eventually shake hands,” sources disclosed.
It was learnt that key players in the Congress machinery, close to the leadership, swung into action immediately after the Senas threatened to disturb the release of the SRK-starrer My Name is Khan. Two senior Congress leaders, one of them a former journalistturned-Rajya Sabha-MP, got into the act to save the Shah Rukh Khan film, which multiplex owners were refusing to screen following the Sena threat. The other person activated was a top Mumbai-based industrialist whose help was sought to pacify the Thackerays.
The three were in constant touch with the Thackerays and Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan. The mediators sought the help of Mr Uddhav Thackeray family members, including his wife, to pacify the Sena heavyweights.
SRK was asked to bring down the temperature through Twitter and “each and every sentence being put on Twitter by Shah Rukh Khan was well planned and thought of,” sources disclosed. “They were also drafted and screened in advance by his political friends,” sources added.
As the day of the screening of the film in theatres approached, there remained some “disagreement” over using words like “regret” and “apology”. Mr Khan, who had refused to apologise, was, however, advised to be “respectful” towards the Thackeray family. Then came the statement from SRK that he “respects Balasaheb” and was “willing to meet him” to clear the air. However, SRK’s spin doctors, including Congress politicians, advised him to delay the meeting till an opportune moment. Regular parleys over the telephone between SRK and his friends were being held and he was “guided accordingly”, sources disclosed.
It was also revealed that the Thackerays were had started looking for an exit route. Moreover, heavy deployment of security forces to protect movie halls and cinema-goers and the arrest of violent protesters were also taking a toll on the Shiv Sena, sources said.
Sanjay Basak