NEW DELHI: Filmmaker Sohaib Ilyasi, whose next film releases in April, has appealed to the government and to the Delhi police to provide protection to renowned Pakistan ghazal singer Ghulam Ali who is coming to India early next month.

Ali will be in Delhi along with music maestro Pandit Jasraj, musician Daler Mehndi and filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt for the launch of the music of Ilyasi's new film 'Ghar Wapsi'. An attempt to launch the music in Mumbai had failed and so the filmmaker decided to shift the venue to Delhi.

The music launch will now be held on 4 April at a hotel in the capital.

Ilyasi said at a press meet in Delhi on Thursday that the inability of the Mumbai Police and the Maharashtra government to give any assurance had prompted him to shift the location, in view of a threat from the right wing political party in Maharashtra - the Shiv Sena.

Ilyasi reiterated the fact that a legend like Ghulam Ali should not be dragged into controversies and should not be made a scapegoat of petty politics between Shiv Sena and the ruling party BJP.

"Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena was very categorical when he said that he would not allow Ghulam Ali on Indian soil and would oppose it. Shiv Sena also has some strength in the capital and we want to ensure that Ghulam Alisaab is safe and secure," said Ilyasi.

Former Delhi chief of Shiv Sena, Rajender Singh Raja was critical of his former party’s dual edged sword. "'Ghar Wapsi' is a film about a great subject of homecoming of Muslims and Christians. Why the Shiv Sena behaved like this is shocking," he felt. Ilyasi also attacked the Congress for making an issue of ‘Ghar Wapsi’

'Ghar Wapsi' is about a family that is faced with several issues and the dilemma of a cultural identity. It is unable to cope with the cultural dichotomy during their homecoming. The film which is in the final stages of post- production is set for release this summer and stars Farida Jalal, Zarina Wahab, Alok Nath, Reema Lagoo, Deepak Tijori, Srishti Goutam, Harsh Nagar and marks the debut of Ustad Ghulam Ali Khan in an Indian film.

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