Karan Johar is reportedly planning to replace the face of Fawad Khan with that of Saif Ali Khan.
Published: Tue 11 Oct 2016, 9:19 AM
Last updated: Tue 11 Oct 2016, 6:25 PM
After reports of Mahira Khan being dropped from Shah Rukh Khan starrer 'Raees', speculations are rife that Pakistani actor Fawad Khan also has been replaced from Karan Johar's 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'.
According to a DNA report, Karan Johar is reportedly planning to replace the face of Fawad Khan with that of Saif Ali Khan.
A source has told DNA, "Karan and his creative team toyed with the idea of face replacement technology to replace Fawad Khan with Saif Ali Khan, but that would have taken a long time and the film is too close to release."
Reports claim that Johar had initially wanted Saif Ali Khan to play Fawad's role and but he later changed his mind and had replaced him with Fawad.
Johar may also change the onscreen nationalities of Anushka Sharma and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the film, who as of now play Pakistani residents.
In the movie, "Aishwarya plays poetess Saba Taliyar Khan and Anushka plays Alizeh, a girl who loses her love (Fawad) and finds herself in love again with another (Ranbir Kapoor)", according to DNA.
The move comes despite the filmmaker's staunch support for Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in wake of the Uri terror attack, followed by India's claim of surgical strikes which led to heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.
Karan Johar had earlier said the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's demand to ban Pakistani artistes from working in India is not a solution to terrorism.
Karan said on a news channel: "I understand the anger and the anguish that surround us and I empathise, my heart bleeds for the lost lives. There is nothing that can justify this terrible feeling of terror. Then you are faced in a situation such as this (asking for ban on Pakistani artistes). If this was truly a solution, then one would take it."
"But this is not a solution. I don't believe it is. There are larger forces that have to come together and sort the situation and this cannot be banning talent or art."
The 44-year-old who has been under verbal attack from various quarters for casting Pakistani talent in his film, says that he feels "vulnerable" while speaking about the issue publicly.
"I feel vulnerable and scared while even saying this. I completely feel the pain and anger. If my film is targeted because of this, it will make me exceptionally sad because my intent was always to put out a creative product out of love and nothing else," he said.
When asked how will he deal with the threats, Karan said: "I don't know... I beseech everyone to look at it holistically and understand the situation, that there is a larger situation here and it has nothing to do with banning talent. Let's look at it from a larger perspective and find the answer."
Also read:
Sorry Ranbir Kapoor! Karan Johar prefers Fawad Khan
Fawad Khan breaks silence on India-Pakistan tensions
Breaking his silence on this row, Fawad, who recently welcomed a daughter with wife Sadaf Khan, wrote in a Facebook post: "I've been in Lahore since July as my wife and I had been expecting our second child. I've received numerous requests from the media and from well-wishers worldwide asking me for my thoughts on the sad incidents that took place in the past few weeks.
"As a father of two little children, I pray and wish like many others that together we can build and live in a more peaceful world. I believe we owe it to our children who will shape our tomorrow."
Fawad added: "Please disregard any other words attributed to me during this time because I have not said them. I thank all my fans and fellow artists from Pakistan, India and people in general all over the world who have shown continued support for their belief in love and understanding to unite a divisive world."
The actor is a heartthrob in Pakistan and found popularity in India after his Pakistani shows "Humsafar" and "Zindagi Gulzar Hai" were aired in the country. He found his footing in Bollywood after featuring in films like "Khoobsurat" and "Kapoor & Sons".
Also read:
Pakistani star Mahira Khan replaced in Shah Rukh's 'Raees'
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