Entertainment politics – the new Indo-Pak recipe for disaster

The animosity has increased to the point where public figures who are not even affiliated with the ongoing violence are being targeted solely because of their nationality

It has been said that entertainment has no borders and is all about harmony and sharing the love.

However, amid tensions between Pakistan and India, an Indian journalist and blogger, Soumyadipta Banerjee, has taken a hit at Pakistan’s all time favourite actor Fawad Khan for not speaking up against the atrocities in Kashmir.

This came after a recent terror attack on a military base near the Uri area of Indian-held Kashmir on 18 September 2016, where 19 soldiers were killed in a pre-dawn ambush by attackers with guns and grenades. All four attackers were neutralised by the security forces.

According to a report on BBC, “It is the deadliest attack on security forces in Kashmir in two decades.” And since, the blame game between Indian and Pakistani ministers has started.

Consequently, Sounyadipta wrote an open letter urging Bollywood to ban the Pakistani actor, who has been making a name for himself in Bollywood recently from royalty in Khoobsurat alongside Sonam Kapoor to a DJ in the upcoming Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

In the letter, Sounyadipta addressed the Kapoor & Sons star to go back to Pakistan.

The letter titled, ‘Dear Fawad Khan. It’s time. Go back to Pakistan’ was published in the Bollywood Journalist.

The Indian journalist first emphasised the fact that no one can deny how much Fawad has been showered with praise and appreciation for what he’s doing in India; from featuring in big releases, endorsing a plethora of brands to replacing some of the biggest Khans of Bollywood in movies, Fawad has made a name for himself in the Indian film industry.

He then made clear that Fawad isn’t singled out, writing: “By addressing you, I want to talk to every Pakistani import to Bollywood. This letter could have well been addressed to Adnan Sami, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Mahira Khan… the list is endless and keeps increasing every year.”

The open letter angered quite a few Pakistanis, and even Indians, which is causing a stir across borders.

According to a report in the Indian Express, an Indian nationalist party, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), gave the Pakistani actors working in India a 48-hour deadline to leave the country or MNS would push them out.

This, unfortunately, is not the first time that Pakistani artists have received threats by Indian political parties. In the past, Shiv Sena forced Ghazal singer Ghulam Ali to cancel his performance in Mumbai. Not only that, Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan were earlier threatened by Shiv Sena to not let the stars promote their respective films in Maharashtra, India.

Furthermore, Humayon Saeed of the Bin Roye fame told DNA, “The open letter has been a very wrong step from the Indian journalist. Entertainment and politics are two very different things, and they don’t ever need to be mixed together.”

Another such incident was in 2015 when the chairman for Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Sudheendra Kulkarni, was attacked for organising former Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri’s book launch in Mumbai. They also threatened to launch a stir against a cricket match between India and Pakistan during the T20 World Cup.

It has been noted that while the Indian community has started to boycott Pakistani media or anything to do with anyone from Pakistan’s entertainment industry, the same cannot be said for India’s creations.

Every Bollywood movie surfacing on this side is in fact wildly publicised.

It can be argued that Bollywood has a far larger fan base and a greater hold in the entertainment field than Pakistan does, but there have been attempts to place a ban on Indian actors and movies like ‘Phantom’ in 2015.

The Pakistani government decided to place a ban on all upcoming movies starring Saif Ali Khan due to his controversial film ‘Phantom’ that portrayed a negative image of Pakistan.

In an earlier interview Shaan Shahid, a Pakistani actor who has movies like Khuda Key Liye and Waar to his name, said, “Bollywood and Lollywood need to grow together. We have so much to learn together and, really, it is the responsibility of the artistic, intellectual individuals from both sides. But I guess they both are busy playing politics.”

He urges both countries to collaborate on equal terms or people will never be able to live in harmony as “India makes a lot of films but Pakistan is the gold mine of scripts.”

While talking about promoting Pakistani movies in India, he said most of the Pakistani movies are not released in India, but when it comes to promoting foreign content, local media seems to have no problem.

Shaan added, “Let the politicians do politics, let the businessmen do business, but I request all the film fraternities of this region to make films together.”

The aforementioned letter aimed at Pakistani actors has been receiving quite a lot of response not only from the actor’s fans but also fellow celebrities in India.

Shah Rukh Khan spoke up in support of Fawad Khan as he condemned all sorts of mud-slinging against the actor.

“Acting and talent have no boundaries; therefore Fawad shouldn’t be targeted over political concerns. It isn’t right to point out him or any other celebrity, and I strongly condemn such conspiracies,” SRK stated.

Furthermore, Humayon Saeed of the Bin Roye fame told DNA, “The open letter has been a very wrong step from the Indian journalist. Entertainment and politics are two very different things, and they don’t ever need to be mixed together.”

“We cannot just start holding grudges against entertainers. Indo-Pak collaborations have been happening for years. Several Indian actors/models make a lot of money through advertisements/endorsements in Pakistan too,” he continued.

Talking about his ongoing cross-border projects he commented: “I’m also working with an Indian actress in one of my upcoming television productions. And journalists need to act responsibly in such sensitive situations.”

DNA could not get in touch with Fawad Khan to comment on the topic. However, an excerpt from the letter suggested that Fawad’s success is owed to India:

“We have given you more money in two years than what you could have possibly earned in Pakistan in 10 years. We have given you recognition that you would have never been able to earn sitting in Karachi,” the letter said.

Furthermore, the letter’s author asks Fawad to finish what he started and go back home.

“Finish what you are doing Fawad and then do us a favour by going back to Pakistan”, the letter ends with the sarcastic promise of a grand farewell and closes with the signature of “an ardent Indian fan”

This suggests that the writer ignored the fact that it is not just Pakistanis working in Indian films and endorsing their brands, but it is happening the other way round as well.

Nargis Fakhri had endorsed the ‘Q Mobile’ brand which was the topic of controversy a few months back when a picture of Nargis in an ‘inappropriate’ style was published in a newspaper. Furthermore, she acted alongside Bilal Ashraf for the same brand.

In addition to that, Naseeruddin Shah was seen playing a role in Fawad Khan’s early 2000 hit Khuda Key Liye. Lastly, Om Puri was seen acting in the Eid ul Adha release Actor in Law alongside Mehwish Hayat and Fahad Mustafa.

So, if Pakistani actors are victims of such hostility on Indian soil, should the celebrities go on continuing to promote peace and harmony if the tensions are on a rise between the borders or should they just let it pass?

Food for thought.