'Wake Up Sid' runs peacefully in Mumbai

Oct 3, 2009 IANS

Mumbai, Oct 3 (IANS) Filmmaker Karan Johar's latest flick "Wake Up Sid", which was embroiled in a first-day-first-show controversy Friday, was running peacefully in 42 cinema halls in Mumbai and another 150 elsewhere in Maharashtra Saturday.

The film had faced protests from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) Friday for having used 'Bombay' instead of 'Mumbai'. The incident sent Johar scampering to MNS chief Raj Thackeray to tender an unconditional apology.

MNS vice-president Vageesh Saraswat said Johar had been given three days to insert an apology at the beginning of the movie in all its 700 prints that were released worldwide Friday.

"Our boys are watching the developments and we are not disrupting any shows anywhere. We are hopeful that the promised apology comes soon," Saraswat told IANS.

A box office executive at Thakur cinema in Kandivli, where the movie opened Friday, said there is normal response from the patrons and the scheduled shows are being held without any problems.

The film, starring Ranbir Kapoor and Konkona Sen Sharma, directed by Johar, is the latest offering from his company Dharma Productions Pvt Ltd.

Johar rushed to the Shivaji Park residence of Thackeray and tendered an unconditional apology and also promised to insert an apology-cum-disclaimer at the beginning of the movie within three days.

Later Friday evening, the Shiv Sena entered the controversy by demanding that Johar should apologise to all the "eight crore Marathis" for the faux pas.

"He should tender an apology to all the people of Maharashtra and not to some individual (Raj Thackeray)," said Sena Rajya Sabha parliamentarian Sanjay Raut.

At the other end, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan expressed his displeasure over the developments.

"Johar should have approached the police or the government instead of going to any individual or party for sorting out his grievances," Chavan said. Click the Movie button below for more info:
Wake Up Sid