Won’t tolerate attempts to finish off Bollywood, says Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday asserted that he would thwart all attempts made with the intention of finishing off Bollywood.

“Attempts to finish off Bollywood or shift elsewhere (from Mumbai) will not be tolerated and resisted,” Thackeray said during a meeting with single-screen and multi-screen cinema hall owners to discuss restarting of halls.

"Bollywood enjoys a following and popularity across the globe. In many respects, it’s on par with Hollywood. The film industry also generates huge employment. In the last few days, attempts have been made to malign the image of the film industry by certain quarters which are painful. Moves to finish off the industry or move it elsewhere will not be tolerated at any cost," he said without naming anyone.

Thackeray described the attempts to defame Bollywood as “painful”.

The statement of Thackeray, the Shiv Sena President, assumes significance in the wake of the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and the series of events that followed.

Thackeray, his son and state’s Tourism Minister Aditya Thackeray and the Sena-NCP-Congress government too have been on the line of fire by certain groups and organizations.