Rekha Bhardwaj, Harshdeep Kaur follow Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi, pull out of Pakistan event

Following Pulwama terror attacks, singers Rekha Bhardwaj, Harshdeep Kaur have cancelled a Lahore trip. Earlier, Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar cancelled their Karachi trip in wake of the attacks that killed 44 CRPF jawans.

Days after Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi cancelled their Pakistan tour, Bollywood singers Rekha Bhardwaj and Harshdeep Kaur have also withdrawn their names from Shaan-e-Pakistan 2019 gala, slated for next month in Lahore, in the wake of the Pulwama suicide bombing that killed 49 CRPF jawans.

Rekha Bhardwaj has cancelled her Lahore tour following Pulwama terror attacks. (Photo: Yogen Shah)

Shabana had put out a tweet expressing grief that she feels her own belief of continuing cultural ties being weakened. “I am filled with pain and grief and all else ..by the dastardly #Pulwama attack . For the 1st time in all these years I feel weakened in my belief that people to people contact can force the Establishment to do the right thing.We will need to call halt to cultural exchange,” she wrote.

Announcing the cancellation, Akhtar tweeted, “Kranchi art council had invited. Shabana and me for a two day lit conference about Kaifi Azmi and his poetry. We have cancelled that. In 1965 during the indo Pak war Kaifi saheb had written a poem. Aur Phir Krishan Ne Arjun Se Kaha.”

Rekha, well known for her tracks like Genda phool, Kabira and Ghagra, was a star attraction at the gala, where Indian and Pakistani talent would have shared the stage for a musical summit and awards night on March 21 and March 22. “I cancelled our show to Pakistan immediately after the Pulwama attack,” Rekha, who was due to travel with her team, told IANS.

Rekha’s husband and filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj was also planning travel to Pakistan for research on the Netflix series Midnight’s Children, based on Salman Rushdie’s novel. However, the plan of the web series’ showrunner stands cancelled, said a source in the know.

Harshdeep, who has sung melodious numbers like Heer and Dilbaro, confirmed to IANS that she will also not be a part of the event in Lahore.

Nevertheless, the show, where Pakistan’s Javed Bashir will be producer and director of music, will go on. “We have no news on Rekhaji and Harshdeep Kaur,” Rehan Babar of Aden Rehan PR and Management Soultions, official PR Partners of the event, told IANS from Lahore when asked if they will be going ahead with the event.

“Shaan-e-Pakistan’ is about promoting fashion, music, art and culture and bringing Pakistan and India together on these platforms. It has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with promoting peace and love through art and culture. Regardless of the current political tensions, Shaan-e-Pakistan is still very much going ahead and on course to take place in March 21 and 22,” Babar added.

The February 14 terror attack has had a direct impact on cultural ties between India and Pakistan.

While the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has announced a diktat saying Indian filmmakers must not release their films in Pakistan and that no collaboration with Pakistani talent must be pursued, veteran actress Shabana Azmi and her lyricist-writer husband Javed Akhtar axed their visit to Karachi to take part in centenary celebrations of Shabana’s poet-father Kaifi Azmi.

Ajay Devgn’s Total Dhamaal, set to hit theatres on Friday ,will also not release in Pakistan.

Calling it a “cowardly act”, Bollywood celebrities such as Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Priyanka Chopra and others have expressed shock over the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama

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