Row over Veena Malik's Kannada movie

The Times of India

Ever since it went on the floors, Sandalwood's Dirty Picture: Silk Sakkath Maga has been a talking point in Gandhinagar. From Pakistani starlet Veena Malik

being a part of the project, to Ekta Kapoor sending a legal notice with regard to the title of the film, the Trishul directorial has been in the news often. The latest is a protest staged by a political outfit against the choice of heroine in the film — Pak actor Veena Malik — with a demand that she be replaced by an Indian actor. But Trishul remains unfazed by the criticism. "India is a democratic country and I have the freedom to do what I want, including making a film of my choice. We're not doing anything wrong. Let them take me on. I know how to answer them. I don't have any objectionable content in my film, so why should I feel guilty? Let them watch the movie and then decide if there's anything offensive in it," adds the director. The political outfit has raised objection with regard to Veena's nationality and her being a part of the film. "What does her nationality have to do with acting? I don't think that everyone from Pakistan is a trouble maker. Don't we have traitors in our own country?" asks Trishul. As for replacing Veena, the director says he will not entertain such suggestions. "Nobody in Sandalwood, Tollywood, Bollywood or Kollywood can match Veena's calibre. She's an all-rounder. Until now, people have only seen one side of Veena. I will portray the other side in my film," asserts Trishul. He further adds that the level of commitment shown by the actor so far has been remarkable. "Be it sentimental or bold scenes, Veena does them with panache. Even though she doesn't understand Kannada, she knows the dialogues. Our film will be high on entertainment and nowhere have we made any reference to Veena's origins or shown something that will offend audiences," he sums up. Contributed by Madhu Daithota 'We will not allow the film to release' Pakistan has been branded a terrorist nation and Veena Malik has been sent to India to find out what is happening in the country. We should not entertain people from an enemy nation. Why do we need a Pakistani actor? Why not a Kannadiga? Does Veena Malik have something that our actors don't have? I will present a memorandum to the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce tomorrow about this issue. At no cost will we allow the release of the film. In fact, I want details about every member on Veena's crew. What is the guarantee that they are not terrorists?