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Nepalese in India to file
case against Hrithik

CALCUTTA (AFP) - The largest Nepalese organisation in India said Friday it would file a defamatory suit against film star Hrithik Roshan next week for "slandering" the Himalayan kingdom.

Rajgopal Bhandari, president of the 250,000-strong All India Nepali Language Council, said he would file a suit in the Calcutta high court against Hrithik for allegedly saying he "hated Nepal and the Nepalese people" in an interview two weeks ago.

"We are waiting for the Calcutta high court to re-open on January 2 to file the suit. Hrithik may be a big star but that does not give him right to insult and hurt our sentiments," said Bhandari.

Actor Hrithik Roshan, 26, and Star satellite television have both denied the screen star ever said he loathed the Himalayan kingdom.

But leftist Nepalese students in Kathmandu have ignored the denials and continued to protest in sometimes violent clashes with security forces, in which four people have died and 120 been injured.

They have also demanded a ban on Hrithik's films and threatened to "bury Hrithik alive" if he ever visits Nepal.

In India, the mood has also taken an ugly turn.

"Hrithik has made the comments ... trouble cannot spread like wildfire out of thin air. We will start an agitation. No self-respecting Nepali will ever watch Hirthik's movies," ruled Bhandari.

"We are going to demonstrate in front of cinema halls screening his movies," he added.

Bhandari demanded an unconditional and formal apology from the film star.

The protests mirror similar outbursts several decades ago against Indian film stars Dharmendra and Nanda.

Dharmendra apologised many times for his comments, but his films are still shunned in Nepal.

In 1999 fellow Indian film star Madhuri Dixit also allegedly made anti-Nepalese remarks.

The Indian embassy in Kathmandu and Dixit apologised later although she categorically denied slurring Nepal.

Hrithik, son of Indian film star Rakesh Roshan, became an overnight success after making his debut in Kaho Na Pyar Hai this year.

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