The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) objected to Mumbai being referred to as Bombay in Wake Up Sid,prompting producer Karan Johar to meet Raj Thackeray at the latters home on Friday and agreeing to insert an apology and a disclaimer at the start of the film. Ameya Khopkar,chief of the MNS film industry wing Maharashtra Navnirman Cine-Workers Sena,said Johar and Thackeray discussed the issue and the former expressed his regrets. Khopkar said Karan had asked for two days to take remedial action such as an apology at the beginning of the film or dubbing the controversial word Bombay to Mumbai. He said the MNS would wait for a couple of days for the promised corrective measure. MNS workers had threatened an indefinite agitation against the film and had asked theatre managers not to screen it. However,after Karan met Raj,the MNS decided to postpone the protest. By raising the issue,the MNS has tried to score over its rival,the Shiv Sena,as issues like Mumbai and the Marathi identity are emotional issues for local voters. There are about 10-12 mentions of Bombay in Wake Up Sid. Our intention was never to hurt anybodys sentiments. It was a genuine slip-up. In the film,Bombay is used in colloquial parlance by the characters of Sid and Aisha, Johar later told The Indian Express. We at Dharma Productions would like to apologise if we have hurt someones sentiments. Were going to put a disclaimer at the beginning of the film. Its unfortunate that something like this has happened because the film is actually is a reverence to the city that we all love. Mumbai is in fact the first character of the film. Nobody wanted to hurt anybody. I got to know about the situation in the morning. I heard that there was some skirmish in Pune and before it escalated I decided to go and meet Raj Thackeray. He was very nice and cordial. He appreciates the fact that the infrastructure to put in the disclaimer will take some time to kick in as it has to be done on all prints nationwide. Wake Up Sid is the tale of Sid (Ranbir Kapoor),a directionless college boy whose life changes when he meets Aisha (Konkona Sen Sharma) who has come to Mumbai from Kolkata to make her own life. Directed by debutant Ayan Mukerji,it is a growing up tale of a boy becoming a man. Karan shouldnt have apologised: Chavan MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Friday night disapproved of filmmaker Karan Johar apologising to MNS chief Raj Thackeray over the use of word Bombay instead of Mumbai in his just released film. Chavan said Johar should have approached the police and the government if he had any problem. It was not right for Karan Johar to have apologised, he said.
