<p class="title">Veteran screenwriter Javed Akhtar today warned "bigots" to be wary of communalising the Indian film industry, which he termed as "the citadel of secularism".</p>.<p class="bodytext">The 73-year-old lyricist-writer's comments come after India-based French journalist Francois Gautier had responded to reports of a planned on-screen adaptation of Mahabharat, in which Aamir Khan could possibly play Krishna, highlighting the Bollywood star's religion.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Without naming Gautier, Akhtar, who has spent 53-years in films, asked people to stop spreading hatred in the name of faith in the field of cinema.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I had joined film industry in 1965 on a salary of 50 rupees per month. In these 53 years not for a second, I have experienced or even seen any communal bias in our industry.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"This film industry is the citadel of secularism. Bigots, don't try to pollute it," he tweeted today.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Gautier had tweeted, "Why should @AamirKhan, a Muslim, play in most ancient & sacred of Hindu epics, the Mahabharata? Is @BJP4India Govt of @narendramodi going to be like the @INCIndia & just stand by in name of secularism??? Would Muslims allow a Hindu to play life of Mohamed?"</p>.<p class="bodytext">Akhtar had earlier slammed the journalist for behaving like a PR machine, calling him "clueless" about Indian history and films.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Can somebody educate this clueless idiot Gautier that a film Mahabharata was made in 1965 and had become a super hit. The producer's name was Ghaffar Bhai Nadiadwala. This is India that we are proud of. Can somebody explain it to the dimwit," Akhtar had written earlier.</p>
<p class="title">Veteran screenwriter Javed Akhtar today warned "bigots" to be wary of communalising the Indian film industry, which he termed as "the citadel of secularism".</p>.<p class="bodytext">The 73-year-old lyricist-writer's comments come after India-based French journalist Francois Gautier had responded to reports of a planned on-screen adaptation of Mahabharat, in which Aamir Khan could possibly play Krishna, highlighting the Bollywood star's religion.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Without naming Gautier, Akhtar, who has spent 53-years in films, asked people to stop spreading hatred in the name of faith in the field of cinema.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"I had joined film industry in 1965 on a salary of 50 rupees per month. In these 53 years not for a second, I have experienced or even seen any communal bias in our industry.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"This film industry is the citadel of secularism. Bigots, don't try to pollute it," he tweeted today.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Gautier had tweeted, "Why should @AamirKhan, a Muslim, play in most ancient & sacred of Hindu epics, the Mahabharata? Is @BJP4India Govt of @narendramodi going to be like the @INCIndia & just stand by in name of secularism??? Would Muslims allow a Hindu to play life of Mohamed?"</p>.<p class="bodytext">Akhtar had earlier slammed the journalist for behaving like a PR machine, calling him "clueless" about Indian history and films.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Can somebody educate this clueless idiot Gautier that a film Mahabharata was made in 1965 and had become a super hit. The producer's name was Ghaffar Bhai Nadiadwala. This is India that we are proud of. Can somebody explain it to the dimwit," Akhtar had written earlier.</p>