Indian actor who played Hafiz Saeed in Phantom goes UNDERGROUND

MUMBAI (Web Desk) - Bollywood movie Phantom, starring Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif, has been banned in Pakistan by the Lahore High Court after a petition was filed by Jamatud Dawa (JUD) chief Hafiz Saeed.

Now the actor who portrays Hafiz Saeed, Shahnawaz Pradhan, is being kept underground for security reasons, the Indian media reported.

A spokesperson for the film unit explained that the security of the actors is extremely important and now that Pradhan's indentity has been disclosed they are taking precautionary measures.

Kabir Khan's Phantom, is based on the novel 'Mumbai Avengers' by S Hussain Zaidi.

In the movie, Indian spies target alleged masterminds behind the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, a three-day rampage that saw gunmen attack two luxury hotels, a centre and a busy train station in India's financial capital.

But unlike the novel, which used pseudonyms for those accused of plotting the attack, Phantom apparently names Hafiz Muhammed Saeed, as well as American David Coleman Headley who was sentenced to 35 years in a US prison for his role in planning the siege.



In several interviews given to the press during the promotion of the movie, Kabir Khan has reiterated that movie is anti-terrorism, not anti-Pakistan.

Related links:

Read: Accepting Hafiz Saeed’s plea, LHC bans Phantom in Pakistan

Read: Doctors Without Borders to take legal action against Phantom

Read: Video shows Phantom team ‘apologising to Hafiz Saeed’