Sudheendra Kulkarni speak to the media in Mumbai on October 12. (Image courtesy: AFP)
Members of the film fraternity including Mahesh Bhatt, Rishi Kapoor and Sona Mohapatra have strongly criticised the paint attack on former journalist Sudheendra Kulkarni for organising a former Pakistan minister's book launch in Mumbai.
Rishi Kapoor said that the act is "unpardonable" while Mr Bhatt noted that it not only brings shame on to the society, but also "debunks our claims to be a democracy". (Also Read:
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The stir created after the cancellation of Pakistani
ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali's concert is yet to die down when some suspected Shiv Sena workers attacked Mr Kulkarni, allegedly for organising an event to launch a book by former Pakistani foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri.
The incident happened when Mr Kulkarni was leaving his home in south-central Mumbai on Monday morning. A group of around a dozen alleged Shiv Sena activists threw black paint on him.
Rishi Kapoor tweeted:
Filmmaker Mr Bhatt shared:
This is what singer Sona Mohapatra, who is known for singing tracks like
c and
Bedardi Raja tweeted:
Musician Shaan and television personality Mini Mathur too expressed their views. Shaan wrote: "It's all getting ridiculous now," reacting to the incident while Mini described the situation as "Intolerance at its peak."
Actress Dia Mirza had appreciation for Mr Kulkarni. She said:
Filmmaker Onir too had a question. "Where are we headed?" he asked.
Masaan director Neeraj Ghaywan shared an image of Mr Kulkarni and pointed out that: "He is wearing the colours of our flag". The paint that was thrown at him had stained not just his face and clothes but also the Indian flag pinned to his coat.