Akhtar said Johar had signed on Khan at a time when India-Pakistan relations were better. “People were encouraging exchange, our Prime Minister travelled there.
Pooja Pillai (THE INDIAN EXPRESS; October 27, 2016)

Questioning Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s role in mediating talks between Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray and film producer Karan Johar — during which the latter gave in to the MNS demand not to cast Pakistani artistes in future and to pay Rs 5 crore as ‘prayashchit’ (penance) to the Army welfare fund — actor-director Farhan Akhtar said on Wednesday that it has set a “terrible precedent”. “The only word, I think, that comes to mind is unfortunate, because it has set a terrible precedent,” he said.

Referring to the threats issued by the MNS over Johar’s decision to cast Pakistan actor Fawad Khan in his film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Akhtar said, “It’s not even the government telling you what you should be doing and not doing. So who are you listening to? You are listening to the people who are threatening you with violence. Now, when you have the threat of violence, it’s not only about you. You have kids at home, you have a family. Why do you want to subject them to that? At the end of the day, it’s really unfortunate that this is the state of affairs.”