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MUMBAI—Bollywood clashed with local politics here as backers of a right-wing party attacked cinemas to complaint remarks by one of India’s major stars.

Supporters of the Shiv Sena, a local Hindu nationalist party that seeks to increase the influence of the natives of Maharashtra, the state that includes Mumbai, bust windows and tore up posters at several movie theaters on Tuesday. More than 50 people were under arrest, according to police. Mumbai, which is India’s monetary and business capital, is home to the Bollywood film industry
Protesters were expressing outrage at recent comments by actor Shah Rukh Khan, who said it was a mistake for India’s professional cricket teams not to employ gifted athletes from Pakistan. Shiv Sena supporters and other nationalist groups demanded that the 44-year-old actor make an apology. Mr. Khan, whose new film “My Name is Khan” is scheduled to be unrestricted Friday, declined.
The protests are the latest incidents of local parties competing to demonstrate their Hindu and Maharashtrian nationalism. The clashes are unfolding as the Shiv Sena is seeing an record challenge to its core of native Maharashtrians from a rival party.
Many Marathi speakers, who make up about half of Mumbai’s residents of 18 million, say they feel they have been bypassed by the city’s growth and growing wealth. They want their regional language to be taught in more schools, and more jobs and government aid to go to the region’s original residents.

Striking out at high-profile figures from elsewhere often resonates with the locals. Mr. Khan has spent most of his life in Mumbai but was born in Delhi. He also is a Muslim, another fixed opponent of the Shiv Sena.

“If we protest peacefully no one listens,” said Balachandra Patil, a Shiv Sena fan and a resident of south Mumbai. “We first try to make people understand, but if they don’t, then we have to slap them.”

Last week, the Shiv Sena, which was founded by cartoonist Balasaheb Thackeray in 1966, protested a visit by Rahul Gandhi, general secretary of the Congress party, which rules India.

Mr. Gandhi recently challenged the Shiv Sena’s stance that Mumbai and the rest of the state of Maharashtra should support the culture and livelihoods of locals by saying that the city is for all Indians. Mr. Gandhi, a possible future prime minister, avoided protesters by changing his tour route of Mumbai and boarding a local train, where he was welcomed by passengers.

India’s richest man, industrialist Mukesh Ambani, usual a lashing in the editorial pages of the Shiv Sena’s newspaper last month by saying that the country’s biggest cities should be common by all Indians.

The real targets of the attacks may not, however, be New Delhi, Bollywood or big business, some analysts say. Rather, the Shiv Sena may be trying to use these clashes to ratchet up their pro-Maharashtrian rhetoric and hold on to supporters. The party has lost many voters and party workers to an offshoot party called the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, or Maharashtra Reconstruction Party, which is run by Raj Thackeray, a nephew of the Shiv Sena founder.
The MNS made headlines recently by bullying shop owners into translating their store signs into Marathi. And by attacking taxi drivers and creation workers who have moved to Mumbai for work. In last year’s general elections, the MNS won almost as many votes as the Shiv Sena in some of the city’s districts.

Mumbai police said they would add security to the cinemas scheduled to run Mr. Khan’s film Friday.

“We have also assured security to 20 distributors of the films in addition to the 63 theaters,” where it will play, said Mumbai Police Commissioner D. Sivanandhan. “We will bring the whole thing under control and strong action will be taken against anyone who tries to upset the release.”