FIlmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, who has always spoken out about Pakistan and India working together, announced yesterday that he has roped in Ghulam Ali to sing for his upcoming play, ‘Milne Do’.
According to Indian Express, Bhatt shared, “He (Ghulam Ali) has been approached and he has gracefully agreed to lend his voice and be a part of the peace endeavour through performing arts. I can’t say whether he will come to India or not, but he will certainly sing a song which will be a part of the play.”
After facing resistance by Shiv Sena, a Hindu extremist party in Maharashtra last month, the ghazal singer cancelled his concert in Delhi, saying that he won’t return to or perform in the country until “things are settled down”.
His scheduled shows in Mumbai, Pune and Delhi also had to be called off because members of the party had threatened to disrupt the performances.
The 67-year-old director added: “Ghulam Ali sahab, a world icon, has been a ghazal king for years and has been coming to our country for many years. He had an unpleasant experience here in India and we personally, the government — both in Maharashtra and at the Centre — have without any hesitation conceded that was not the right kind of treatment.”
This isn’t the first time the duo will be working together: Ali previously sang a song for the 1990 movie, Awaargi.
Bhatt, who has been encouraging cultural dialogue between artists of the two estranged nations thought it would be most appropriate to use “his voice as the glue to stitch the nations together through this play”.
Earlier this year, the filmmaker took the stage production based on his 1989 film Daddy to Pakistan and also flew down to Lahore for the premiere of Humayun Saeed’sJawani Phir Nahi Ani.
Milne Do is a love story between two individuals from different religions during intolerant times and will be staged on 24 April next year, then continue to travel to different cities of India and Pakistan.
Laal Band from Pakistan has composed the music and will perform live during the play and it has been penned by Suhrita, the writer ofHamari Adhuri Kahani.