KARACHI – After her recording from 2015 began making rounds in India, actress Saba Qamar has stepped forward to clear the misunderstandings. Saba, who is making her Bollywood debut opposite Irrfan Khan in Hindi Medium, is seen calling Salman Khan ‘chhichhora’ and implying that Emraan Hashmi is a source of ‘mouth cancer’ in the video that is being cited by all leading Indian newspapers.
In an interview with Maharashtra Times Saba highlighted that her words are being taken out of context and that they mean completely different things in India and Pakistan.
“I think before issuing any criticism for anyone’s oral or written words we must first under where they are coming from and what the context is,” she told the Mumbai-based newspaper. “For context, you need to understand that at the time I had neither signed any Bollywood movie, nor believed I’d be offered one in a million years.”
The model turned actress also urged the two nations to understand their cultural differences.
“We should also understand that same terms can have different meanings in India and Pakistan. Hafiz Saeed for one, and pigeon as well” she told the Marathi newspaper. “Similarly, chhichhora and cancer have contrasting connotations in Pakistan.”
The actress urged both Indians and Pakistanis to educate themselves, learn and, where needed, overcome the differences.
“The only way to overcome these differences is for Bollywood directors to sign Pakistani actors,” she maintains. “And I’m willing to play my part in strengthening Indo-Pak ties and regional stability.”
