Pakistan lifts ban on Indian films: Is it time India reconsiders ban on Pakistani actors?

Bollywood banned Pakistani actors from working in Hindi films following a terror attack in Kashmir last year. However now, Pakistan has lifted the self-imposed ban on Bollywood films starting February 1. The Hrithik Roshan-starrer Kaabil was the first Bollywood film that was released in Pakistan after the ban was lifted. Now, Shoojit Sircar’s production Runningshaadi.com will also release in Pakistan on February 17, the same day as its release in India.

And now, the Indian film frat debates if Bollywood should lift the ban too. Filmmaker Rakesh Roshan feels that since Pakistan has decided to welcome Indian films, India also must relax its stance and move forward. Amit Roy, director of Runningshaadi.com says, “I think it’s a good way forward because just banning all things that the two nations enjoy about each other is not going to move our relationship forward.”

A still from Shoojit Sircar production, RunningShaadi.com that will release in Pakistan on Feb 17, the same day as its release in India.

Actor-producer Sonu Sood agrees that there should not be any sort of creative barrier between the two countries. “I feel that only the film industry can get both the countries together and it should set an example for promoting peace between both the nations.”

Meanwhile, films such as Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Raees and Akshay Kumar-starrer Jolly LLB 2 still have not been cleared by the Censor Board in Pakistan and are not being screened. Actor Annu Kapoor who plays an important role in Jolly LLB 2, states, “Just lifting the ban cannot improve the political relations between the two countries. There must be several socio-political and economical situations, which pushed Pakistan to open the doors to Indian films. So if Pakistan has lifted the ban, it only means more money for us. Even when Pakistan banned our films, our industry didn’t face any revenue loss, as we were doing really well globally. (Also) it’s high time they realise the worth of Hindi films because their artists have made a lot of money here.”

Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Raees has not been allowed to screen in Pakistan because of objectionable content.

Actor Nimrat Kaur is in favour of the ban being lifted, but feels the ban should be lifted when the time is right. “The ban that India imposed came out of a very serious situation. So, we should decide to lift the ban after considering the present relation between the two countries.”

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First Published: Feb 11, 2017 18:50 IST