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Politician calls off campaign against Bollywood star
2008-09-11
MUMBAI (AFP) - A right-wing politician on Thursday called off his campaign against Bollywood legend Amitabh Bachchan, saying he would not block the release of the star's latest film. The leader of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Raj Thackeray, said he welcomed Bachchan's comments Wednesday that his wife had meant no offence when she said she preferred speaking Hindi to the local language in Mumbai, Marathi. "We appreciate the gesture made by Mr Amitabh Bachchan. We are calling off our ban," he told a news conference. Thackeray, who has been at the forefront of a drive to promote Marathi in and around Mumbai, had said Jaya Bachchan's comments were an insult, and called for a boycott of the family's films and the products they advertise. Panes of glass were smashed at the cinema where the premiere of Amitabh Bachchan's latest film, "The Last Lear," was due to have been held Wednesday evening, prompting the cancellation of the event on security grounds. Mud was also thrown at posters for the film and advertising hoardings.
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