Pakistani Artists – Is It an Issue Worth Fighting For

Before I say anything on this contentious subject, here are a few confessions. I have watched three serials and three films, including a Pakistani film, starring Fawad Khan and I am an admirer of his acting. I also admire Mahera Khan for her role in ‘Humsafar’. I have grown up listening to Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali and Abida Parveen. I would love to watch them but, for now, I am not in favour of allowing them to work in India. I would pray for a situation of normalcy in the relation between two countries so that the two countries can have reciprocal – I repeat reciprocal – traffic in cultural ties. 

Let us consider some dimensions of the issue related to Pakistani artists working in India. After all it is a relatively recent phenomenon.

The Background:

After the partition in 1947, Pakistan tried to match India – as a rival – in everything, including cinema and music. The film and music industries of the two countries grew and blossomed independently of and parallel to each other. So, while we had our Dilip Kumar-Raj Kapoor- Dev Anand- Rajendra Kumar, they had their Mohammad Ali, Waheed Murad and Nadeem. While our music scaled the heights with Rafi-Kishore-Mukesh-Talat and others, they had their own Mehdi Hassan, Ahmad Rushdi and Masood Rana. We had our Lata-Asha and they had their ‘Malika-e-Tarannum’ and Runa Laila (till the creation of Bangladesh). We had Waheeda Rahman, Vaijayanti Mala and Meena Kumari, they had their Bushra Ansari, Tamanna and Zeba.

One would wonder why it never occurred to anybody in the Hindi film industry to invite the legendary Mehdi Hassan to sing or Mohammad Ali and Zeba to act in the Hindi films during the 60s and 70s. I don’t think anybody believes that suddenly the pool of talent has dried up in India or that Atif Aslam and Ali Zafar are better singers than Mehdi Hassan. So, what has changed?

Let us try to understand. The creation of Pakistan was accompanied by a lot of bad blood, made worse because of the Kashmir issue. So, to start with any cultural ties were neither discussed nor debated.  There was a complete ban of Indian films, which existed since 1952 in West Pakistan and since 1962 in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). It was exercised rigorously after the conflict of 1965. Pakistani cinemas did not suffer much from the decision to remove the films and instead received better viewership. So, till the early 1970s, while the film industry in Pakistan flourished, nobody ever felt any need to look for alternative avenues to work. On the Indian side too, there was no visible desire or appetite to have Pakistani artists to work here. In all probability there must have existed a fear of backlash considering the persistent hostilities and two wars (in 1965 and 1971). With Mrs. Gandhi in power, nobody would have dared to question her secular credentials on the basis of her tough stance on Pakistan. Even the bilateral cricketing ties between two countries remained suspended between 1962 and 1978.

The 1970s were beginning of a transformation of the Pakistani society. In spite of the 1971 debacle the Pakistani army became the strongest institution in the country and it also started encouraging a more puritan form of Islam to perpetuate its hold on power. Zia ul Haq very actively encouraged the Mullahs.  Strict laws, based upon ultra-conservative jurisprudence, became an obstacle to the industry's growth. Such puritanism slowly started choking creative art and cinema and there was huge decline in the avenues for artistic expression since the mid-1970s. A stage came when an “industry that once produced an average of 80 films annually, was struggling to even churn out more than two films a year." Although there are visible signs of revival of the Pakistani film industry in the last 3-4 years, the chaotic, terrorism-infested, landscape would always keep people apprehensive about the future.

So, to Pakistani artists India would appear to be the natural alternative place to seek work – for artistic expression as well as for earning. Incidentally, they found some willing takers in Bollywood who engaged them. As a matter of fact Rahat Fateh Ali Khan has sung more songs in Hindi films during the last few years than Sonu Nigam, by no means less accomplished if not more. Even a much less talented Atif Aslam got more work that most Indian singers.

The Indian Side of the Story

While Pakistani society has been going in the direction of Islamization, on the Indian side also several significant changes have taken place.  The 1990s witnessed the emergence of right wing politics as a potent force in India.  As a counter move there has been a tendency to loosely define everything other than the right wing party or its policies as ‘secular’.  So, while we frequently witness opposition by some parties to Pakistani artists working in India, the supporters denounce it as “Ultra Patriotism” or “Hyper Nationalism”.  In fact, as if with vengeance, the so called seculars have shown strong determination to invite Pakistani artists to work in Bollywood in the name of arguments like ‘freedom of expression’, ‘art-has-no-boundaries’ and ‘aman-ki-asha’ etc. People like Mahesh Bhatt and Karan Johar have been at the forefront but there are many like them.

There is another angle. Though nobody would admit, for some people secularism has become synonymous with being Pro-Pakistan. This is probably the most illogical and absurd version of secularism. They view that they are duty bound to be pro Pakistan if they have to oppose what they describe as Hindutva. Taking a dispassionate view, we should be simply viewing Pakistan as a politically and militarily hostile country whose being an Islamic Republic is incidental.  Karan Johar and Mahesh Bhatt would never admit that their love for Pakistani artists is not as much out of genuine desire to improve relations between the two countries, as to appeal to a particular community in India.

As a matter of fact few would debate that even though Pakistan is an ‘enemy’ country (at least right now), every Pakistani individual is not an enemy. I am sure most of the people on the other side think so too, as is evident from the warmth and hospitality shown to Indian visitors during normal times. It is also true that art knows no boundaries. Our own people like Om Puri, Kabir Bedi, Victor Banerjee, Anil Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra (to name a few) have worked in foreign films. However, the instances of Indians working in Pakistan, Like Naseeruddin Shah in ‘Kuda Ke Liye’ are rare. Still, in my view, there is a strong case for not working with Pakistani artists – for now. 

How is the current situation different from any other time?

The hostility between the two countries is far more intense than at any other time in the past and it is not dormant or covert; it is just short of a war. It is in the open. Do we need a stronger evidence than a Minister of Pakistan threatening us with annihilation? From our side, the official diplomacy has been very stern and combative towards isolating Pakistan. Can cultural ties continue unaffected? Will it not give a message that while the Government is trying to be tough with Pakistan, at people-to-people level everything is normal? Can we afford that? Is it only the Government’s battle and all those opposed to the ruling party (for whatever reasons) should follow a different line?  

Further, we are duty bound to demonstrate to our security forces that we care. The soldiers on each side of the border have no interpersonal enmity. They are fighting on behalf of their people. The ‘people’ – including Karan Johar and Fawad Khan - have to stand solidly behind their respective armies. Any efforts for normalization of relations will succeed only when the guns go silent. The onus of normalization rests with the civil society on both sides. But, I am afraid, Fawad Khan, as a part of the civil society, is too small to influence the Pakistani Army, which is supreme. So, let us not abuse individuals for not going against the official line of their country.

To all those who plead for cultural ties to continue in spite of the hostility, I have a question: Can anybody tell what type of cultural exchange existed between Germany and the UK or France during the World War?

Karan Johar and his ilk have failed to realise one major difference. This time it is not an intolerance attributable to BJP, Shiv Sena or MNS. Their initial arrogance in brushing aside the issue as ‘communal’ has mobilized a much larger chunk of the population. And, let it be known to them, that in spite of 24X7 TV, only a small portion of the population is enamored by Fawad Khan and Mahera Khan. The death of our soldiers and the atrocities of the Pak-sponsored terrorists are real and tangible; Fawad, Mahera and Atif are not.