India'z Latest News: Film stars protest gag order on Raj Thackeray

Big names like Nana Patekar and Suneil Shetty, among others, have signed a petition to protest the gag order imposed by the state on the politician.

''How can I support what he says about north Indians leaving Mumbai. Me and my family are from the north. I find his stand completely unreasonable, but at the same time I also find this gag completely unreasonable,'' said Salim Khan, script writer.

With the support of the biggies signed and sealed, Thackeray's next move is a cine-artistes' union. It will be a smart work by an ambitious politician widening his vote-bank, a year ahead of the Assembly elections.

''But it is obvious that if one political party steps in, others will not be far behind. So your backyard would be full of all kinds of political parties fighting each other, saying that my kind of help is the best kind of help, which inevitably leads to war,'' said Mahesh Bhatt, filmmaker.

Raj Thackeray is a politician, whose friendship with the film stars goes back a long way. And, it is this camaraderie with the industry that Thackeray is leveraging, an industry interestingly not dominated by Maharashtrians.