Shashilal Nair flees country after threats

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">MUMBAI: Shashilal Nair, director of the controversial Hindi film <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Ek Chhoti Si Love Story</span> has fled to an undisclosed foreign destination after he was threatened with dire consequences. “I don’t want to disclose my location for security reasons,’’ he told TNN over the phone.He said over the past couple of weeks he has been receiving threats from four members of parliament and the underworld, warning him to delete certain controversial scenes from the film. The film’s heroine Manisha Koirala had objected to some scenes and asked Mr Nair to delete them. Mr Nair refused to do so on the grounds that the censor board had already certified the film. Ms Koirala filed a petition in the high court, which was dismissed by a single judge. She then moved the division bench of the court, which stayed the release of the movie. But the film is already being shown in cinema halls in other parts of the country. Mr Nair refused to disclose the names of the people who had threatened him. But it is learnt that he has passed on the information to the police. Asked why he did not lodge a formal complaint with the police, he replied: “Since the matter is before the court I think it is the right forum to disclose the facts.’’ He added, “For now, I have left the country since I fear for my safety.’’ He said that the callers threatened to have false criminal complaints lodged against him in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar and get the income tax department to raid his premises. However, he stated that none of the callers stated that they were calling on behalf of Ms Koirala. Earlier, the actress had approached Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and reportedly sought his help in implementing the stay against the release of the film in Mumbai. Shiv Sainiks went on a rampage at several city cinema halls after the meeting between Ms Koirala and Mr Thackeray. The high court had taken a dim view of this development. </div> </div>