Javed Akhtar On Pakistani Artists Being Allowed In India Post-Pahalgam Attack: NO, Always Been One-Way Traffic… (Credit: Twitter)
Now, veteran screenwriter and poet Javed Akhtar has weighed in on the issue. Sharing his perspective, he told PTI about the history of cultural exchange between the two nations. He explained, “The first question should be whether we should allow the Pakistani artists here. There are two answers, both of which are equally logical. It has been a one-way traffic, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Ghulam Ali, Noor Jahan came to India, we gave them a great reception… Faiz Ahmad Faiz, who is a poet of the subcontinent, he was living in Pakistan. When he came to India during the AB Vajpayee regime, he was treated like a state head, the kind of respect given by the government. I am afraid, this has never been reciprocated, I mean, I have no complaint with the people of Pakistan.”
Javed Akhtar further questioned why legendary Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar, who was immensely popular in Pakistan, never performed there. “Big poets of Pakistan have written for the songs of Lata Mangeshkar. She was hands down most popular artist in India and Pakistan in the 60’s and 70’s, but why was there not a single performance of Lata Mangeshkar in Pakistan? I won’t complain to people of Pakistan, she was loved, but there was some blockage, the blockage was system, which I don’t understand. This is one-way traffic.”
“The second is equally valid, if we block Pakistani artists, who are we pleasing in Pakistan? The Army and the fundamentalist, this is what they want? They want distance, it suits them. Both these questions are equally valid. At this moment, I would say no.”
About Abir Gulaal
Meanwhile, Fawad Khan’s comeback film Abir Gulaal has been banned in India. Starring alongside Vaani Kapoor, the film was slated to release on May 9 this year.
