Admittedly, gone are the days when Pak-baiting was a failsafe commercial mantra. In the recent past, much-hyped releases like Anil Sharma's Hero, JP Dutta's LOC - Line of Control and Milan Luthria's Deewaar came horribly unstuck. The very man who made the unabashedly shrill Gadar - Ek Prem Katha, Anil Sharma, has quickly backtracked to modify the script of his latest film, Ab Tumhare Hawaale Watan Saathiyon, to factor in the new climate of bonhomie that is sweeping across India and Pakistan.

What had started out, much like Gadar, as an out-and-out anti-Pakistan film is now being pitched as a tribute to the changed realities through a story of a joint anti-terrorism operation by the two neighbouring nations. We have no idea whether it was Akshay Kumar's famous refusal to spout fiery anti-Pak lines that triggered the rethink, but Anil Sharma is clearly out to exploit the mood of the moment.

That is where Mumbai filmmakers usually falter. Their pathological obsession with box office success often prevents them from rising above their balance sheets and looking beyond their noses. Shouldn't filmmakers show their audience what is right and not merely what is saleable at a given point of time?

I have no quarrel with a formula film sending out positive signals on good neighbourly relations between two long-warring nations. But wouldn't it have been of far greater use to mankind if this spate of films had arrived in the immediate aftermath of the Kargil conflict when the atmosphere was heavy with negativity?

That did not happen because Mumbai's filmmakers are notorious status-quoists. They are short on courage. They are like politicians who, come election time, will say and do exactly what their constituency wants. They are slaves to convenience. The quest for viewers is indeed a bit like canvassing for votes: if you dare to swim against the tide of current collective emotions, your ship is bound to capsize mid-stream. So the average filmmaker will give his audience what it wants, not what he wants. He will, much like a good salesman, proffer what sells, not what is ethically right. He will reinforce prejudices, not demolish myths.

Mumbai filmmakers do not have the ability to anticipate history. They can only reflect it. The reason is obvious: these filmmakers are traders, not artists. They are mere reporters, not chroniclers. It is not surprising, therefore, why Veer-Zaara is what it is. Quite apart from the fact that it is an entertaining film, it is an extremely clever concoction.

It taps into the current air of Indo-Pak camaraderie with a melodramatic cross-border love story. Like Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, it uses a lush north Indian countryside as its primary backdrop. That enhances its nationwide commercial appeal. And with Shahrukh heading the cast, a strong overseas impact is guaranteed.

That indeed is the issue. Shahrukh Khan is a box office phenomenon. A film's theme plays second fiddle to his presence in the cast. Does one really remember that Main Hoon Na was a film that sought to do its bit for Indo-Pak amity? The theme wasn't the reason why it clicked? It was Shahrukh Khan who lifted a rather messy film above the ordinary. He is now well on the way to doing much the same with Veer-Zaara.

The Indo-Pak friendship mythology that is being created by films like Main Hoon Na and Veer-Zaara certainly has a happy ring to it. Politically, it is a wonderful cause worth fighting for. Commercially, it is only a convenient tool. For a film industry desperately seeking audiences around the globe, the need to shed its jingoistic cloak has never been greater. It certainly helps when somebody like Shahrukh, who cuts across borders, is at hand to drive the peace fantasy.

Keep an eye on Ab Tumhare Hawaale Watan Saathiyon. It does not have Shahrukh in the cast. Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar and Bobby Deol may constitute a top-heavy line-up, but in the absence of King Khan Anil Sharma's new film faces the risk of falling short on firepower. The Indo-Pak bhai bhai refrain, by itself, may not be enough to bestow mega-hit status on the film. The myth is always only a Friday away from being ripped apart.