People Succeed In Bollywood Due To Talent, Not Religion: Shiv Sena

“All these people have always been grateful to the city and the state which allowed them to chase their dreams and make it big. They have never betrayed Mumbai but have also contributed to the growth of the city,” the Saamana said. “Many artistes have been awarded Bharat Ratna and also Nishan-e-Pakistan,” it noted.

Incidentally, the Shiv Sena had protested vociferously against Dilip Kumar when he accepted Nishan-e-Pakistan, the highest civil award of the neighbouring country, several years ago. The editorial also pointed out that the Mumbai film industry provides jobs to lakhs of people.

Referring to the criticism that it is dominated by the “Khans”, the newspaper said at one time the industry was dominated by Punjabis and Maharashtrians. Many Muslim actors adopted Hindu screen names such as Dilip Kumar (whose real name is Yusuf Khan), Madhubala (Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi), it said, adding that what mattered was only talent and not the person’s religion.

While talented members of Bollywood dynasties such as Kapoors, Roshans, Dutts, Shantarams survived, actors like Rajesh Khanna, Jitendra, Dharmendradid not have any film family background, the editorial said. “What is the problem if their children and grand- children take forward their legacy,” the Sena mouthpiece asked, in apparent counter to Ranaut’s tirade against nepotism in the film industry.