- Friday, May 23, 2025
By: Vibhuti Pathak
In the wake of last week’s devastating terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, veteran lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar has voiced his opinion against allowing Pakistani artistes to work in India—at least for the foreseeable future.
The attack claimed the lives of 25 tourists and a local Kashmiri ponywallah, sparking a wave of outrage and reigniting the debate over cross-border cultural exchanges.
While answering a question at a public event on Tuesday (29), Akhtar—who co-wrote iconic films like Deewaar and Sholay—stressed that there are two equally valid perspectives on the matter. However, he concluded that now is not the right time to welcome Pakistani talent into Indian cinema and music.
VIDEO | When asked about whether Pakistani artists should be allowed in India, lyricist Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) says, “The first question should be whether we should allow the Pakistani artists here. There are two answers, both of them are equally logical. It has been a… pic.twitter.com/ox9b3CfbLy
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 29, 2025
“There are two answers, both of them are equally logical. You can toss a coin to find the right one,” Akhtar said. “It has been one-way traffic. We welcomed Pakistani legends like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Ghulam Ali, Noor Jahan, and poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz with open arms. Faiz, although a Pakistani citizen, was treated like a dignitary when he visited India during the AB Vajpayee era,” he added.
Akhtar emphasized that this generosity has never been reciprocated by Pakistan. He cited the example of legendary Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar, who despite her immense popularity in Pakistan, never performed there. “Poets from Pakistan have written about Lata ji.
She was immensely loved there, but why was she never invited? It seems like there was a systemic blockage from the Pakistani establishment.”
While expressing no ill will towards the people of Pakistan, Akhtar underscored that the lack of reciprocal cultural exchanges reveals a deeper problem. He noted that the refusal to host Indian artistes is often driven by the political and military establishment in Pakistan, which is wary of fostering people-to-people connection with India.
On the other hand, Akhtar also acknowledged that banning Pakistani artistes in India could end up playing into the hands of Pakistan’s hardliners. “Who are we pleasing by blocking their artistes? The army and the fundamentalists. This is what they want—a wall between our countries, so that Pakistanis remain isolated and unaware of the freedoms we enjoy here. Bonhomie doesn’t suit them,” he said.
Despite both arguments being valid, Akhtar stated firmly, “At this moment, I would say no to Pakistani artistes working in India.”
Meanwhile, the Bollywood film Abir Gulaal, starring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, has been officially barred from releasing in India. The Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry has confirmed that the film will not be cleared for theatrical release.
The film was slated for a May 9 premiere, but multiple cinema chains had already refused to screen it following protests, including from Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. Two of the film’s songs, previously released on YouTube, have also been removed.
