Ban on Pakistani actors & technicians in India till normalcy returns: IMPPA
Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan
Following the Uri attack and India’s surgical strike across LoC, the tension between the two neighbouring nations is at an all time high.
In the wake of the growing discord, the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association (IMPPA) on Thursday passed resolution banning Pakistani Actors & technicians in India till normalcy returns.
The resolution, however, does not ban the release of films like Karan Johar’s ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ and Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Raees’, which stars Pakistani actors Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan respectively.
Filmmaker Ashoke Pandit, Vice President, IMPPA issued an official statement which read, “IMPPA at its Seventy Seventh Annual General Meeting on September 29, 2016 unanimously resolved to appeal all IMPPA members to henceforth in future not to work with any artistes, singers and technicians from Pakistan until the situation of hostilities between Pakistan and India subsides and the government of India declares that all is well with Pakistan and India.
“The resolution was passed by all members present in one voice and all IMPPA members are hereby requested to refrain working with Pakistani artistes, singers or technicians till further instructions.”
The IMPPA resolution comes hours after Indian Army announced that it had carried out surgical strike on terrorist launch pads across the LoC in Pakistan and inflicted ‘heavy casualties’.
Last week, Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena had asked Pakistani actors to leave India or face consequences.
“We had given Pakistani artists 48 hours to leave the country. Today not a single Pakistani artist is in the country. Whether they have gone back to Pakistan or Dubai, what matters is they are not in India. Our protests are not yet over,” said Amey Khopkar, President of MNS’ Chitrapat Karmachari Sena.
“I respect Zee’s Subash Chandraji for stopping all Pakistani serials on Zindagi channel. I also thank Pahlaj Nihalani for his support and Colors channel for agreeing not to take any Pakistani artists in Comedy Nights Bachao and Bigg Boss. I thank Radio Mirchi for supporting us and stopping Atif Aslam’s program. The day Pakistan stops terrorist attacks only then will we extend our hand of friendship. After the attacks, none of these Pakistani actors condemned it. We are not protesting against art and cinema, we are protesting against Pakistani actors,” he added.
Following MNS’ threat, a Pakistan-based distributed refused to screen India’s limited overs captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s biopic, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, in the country.
A similar sentiment is now prevalent across the border, with a lawyer filing a petition in Lahore High Court seeking a ban on Indian films till the Kashmir issue is resolved and actor Hamza Ali Abbasi urging Pakistani artistes to boycott Bollywood.
