The Uri attack has caused a lot of furore in the country. After Raj Thackeray-led MNS party’s call for a ban on Pakistani actors, the industry was left divided over the issue. Some feel the Pakistani actors should be banned while many others feel that banning them isn’t the solution to the national issue.
Amid the country all soaked in the patriotism spirit, veteran lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar has hit out at Pakistani artistes, saying the fact they have not condemned the Uri attack is a kind of a “confession” that the country is responsible for it.
Veteran lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar youthkiaawaz
Akhtar, 71, said he does not see any reason behind Pakistani artistes’ silence on the attack.
“The situation is indeed serious and requires drastic measures. Look around you, weeks at one constantly gets to see are terror attacks. Be it in Pathankot, Mumbai or Uri… we always find Pakistan’s name being linked to terror in our nation,” he adds.
He recalled Pakistan’s pre-eminent poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s visit to India. “He was treated by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee like a head of the state. But this sort of hospitality and privilege has not been given to an Indian artiste in Pakistan, not even to Lata Mangeshkar!”
He said Lata Mangeshkar has never been able to visit Pakistan for even one concert, because it was very difficult for the establishment in Pakistan to accept that an Indian singer could be so popular in Pakistan.
With patriotic sentiments running high amid soaring tensions between the neighbours, a number of celebrities ranging from Bollywood stars to journalists to cricketers to politicians from both countries have chosen their stance in myriad shades of sublimity, jingoism, rationality and absurdity.
Earlier, actress-MP Hema Malini said that she respects the artistes but cannot ignore the sacrifice of Indian soldiers.
“As an artist I appreciate their work but I don’t want to comment about whether they should live here or leave this country,” she said at an event in Delhi.
Actress Radika Apte was forthcoming in her opinion on the demand for ban on Pakistani artistes.