The tension between Pakistan and India has increased when Indian Motion Pictures Producers’ Association (IMPPA) put a sudden ban on Pakistani artists from working in India.
The ban was originally imposed in 2016 right before the release of Karan Johar’s “Ae Dil Hay Mushkil” where Pakistani Actor Fawad Khan, starred alongside Anushka Sharma. Only a 48-hour period was given to Pakistani artists to leave Indian premises or they were threatened to be kicked out.
Indian Motion Picture Producers Association(IMPPA) passes resolution banning Pakistani Actors & technicians in India till normalcy returns
— ANI (@ANI) September 29, 2016
The ban will affect Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s work in “Welcome To New York” a great deal. He sung a song titled Ishtehar – a soulful rendition that was meant to be featured in the movie.
Indian Union Minister, Babul Supriyo, ordered to remove Rahat’s voice from the song and be dubbed by someone else as he was not able to comprehend the need or desire to cross the border for entertainment content at a time when tensions on the India-Pakistan border had escalated.
As a response to this, producers of the hit Bollywood film, Hindi Medium, have also decided not to cast Saba Qamar for the film’s sequel despite knowing the fact that it was her who added color to the movie.
Mahira Khan, who did an outstanding performance in Raees alongside Shahrukh Khan, has also not signed an agreement yet.
While a lot of people from across the border are supporting the ban, veteran actor, Rishi Kapoor, stood out and called it unfair to impose such a ban suddenly.
“Films are not planned in one or three days. It takes time. You can’t say that you’re going to ban a picture,” fumed Kapoor, who acted with Pakistan star Fawad Khan in his last hit “Kapoor & Sons”.
Banning artists is not going to stop any sort of violence and will only bring out bitterness from both sides of the border. Besides, talent should always be appreciated for the betterment of humanity whether it be from Pakistan or any other country.
