In the wake of the recent tensions between India and
Pakistan, there has been a lot of debate around the ban on Pakistani artistes
in India. I wanted to share my two cents on the issue. Though this has
been a largely emotional issue, I wanted to try and take an objective view of
the issue (as much as possible).
I enjoyed Fawad Khan’s performance in ‘Kapoor and Sons’, I
am an admirer of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan’s and Adnan Sami’s creations (not to
mention the late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan), and ‘Khuda Ke Liye’ was a movie that
really moved me. And these are just a few examples. Of course, Pakistani
artistes have contributed a lot to Indian cinema and music. To argue that India
hasn’t gained by the inflow of talent from Pakistan would be a lie, or at least
an act of denial. And this is not just restricted to Pakistan – there are many
Indian movies that boast of talent from abroad, both in front of and behind the
camera. Art flourishes from the mixture of varying influences, cultures and
experiences, and in an ideal world, any sort of restrictions would only hinder
it.
That being said, a reality check may be in order here. We
are not in an ideal world. The on-and-off relationship between India and
Pakistan is now tense, thanks to the recent Uri attacks and the retaliatory
surgical strikes by India. In such a situation, is it really wrong to ask that
a ban on Pakistani actors be imposed?
There are certain aspects that I do not want to address. The
almost adamant refusal by Pakistani actors to condemn or even comment on the
terror attacks, in a country where they are earning their livelihood and for
whose hospitality they have showered praises for on many occasions, is shocking.
That being said, it is their personal decision (whether under the influence of political
pressure or not, I do not know). Also, the various opinions of celebrities that
have been doing the rounds of social media, and the varying responses in
support of, or opposing those statements, are nothing more than personal
opinions. So, in my opinion, trying to analyse the Twitter posts and interview
responses of celebrities does not amount to anything.
Instead, it would be interesting to look at what is achieved
by things like bans on actors, cancelling music concerts, stopping sporting
events, etc. There is no doubt that this will not resolve the issues between
the two countries. In fact, many Indian people would suffer losses on account
of this on account of cancelled shows and matches, unfinished projects,
inability to meet professional commitments, just to name a few. And of course,
none of this changes the ground realities of the soldiers who put their lives
at risk to defend our nation. So why do it?
For one, there is the obvious emotional element. The show of
solidarity to the cause of the nation. I have no reason to believe that
Pakistani actors and sportspersons are not good people, but this isn’t about
that. Even the soldiers on both sides do not have any personal enmity against
each other. Though this may be a misplaced idea, and targeting a few Pakistani
celebrities wouldn’t have any direct impact, it definitely sends a message. As
long as India ensures their safety and does not treat them unfairly or with
disrespect, I think there is no real moral high ground lost. But again, this is
not something that can be imposed as it would be coercive and more of a ‘forced
volunteering’.
Another aspect to consider here is money. There is no doubt
that both Bollywood and cricket are two of India’s biggest industries in terms
of money. So any move to boycott Pakistani actors and cricket matches would
hurt Pakistan financially. And such a boycott or ban would not be unlike the
sanctions that are imposed on nations that threaten the sovereignty of other
nations. This is one of the main reasons why over the years, there has been a
lot of emphasis by Pakistan to keep sports and arts separate from bilateral
talks.
Perhaps the most important aspect of all is the influence
that India exercises in the world through Bollywood and cricket. In his TED
talk on ‘Why nations should pursue “soft” power’, Shashi Tharoor talks about
how the view of people around the world on India has changed over the years, in
no small part due to the reach of Bollywood across geographies. The same can be
said of cricket. Also, the influence of Bollywood on the world in terms of the
perception of India cannot be denied. Pakistan no doubt understands this – why else
ban the M.S. Dhoni movie? M.S. Dhoni has a lot of fans in Pakistan. Though I haven’t
seen it, I’m sure the movie does not have a jingoistic agenda – there is no
real reason for the movie to be banned in Pakistan, except to hurt Bollywood
financially and more importantly to reduce its influence in the country. I
think India can send a very strong message by banning Pakistani “imports” in
arts and sports – arguably as strong a message as the surgical strikes. This is
not meant to be disrespectful, but just a recognition of the power of the soft
skills of India as a nation. While international terror attacks like the Paris
attacks were talked about and condemned all over social media by posts, hashtags
and slogans; the major dialogue on the Uri attacks has come through discussions
and debates on the surgical strikes and the ban on Pakistani actors. The world
political situation is such that terrorist attacks on India don’t seem to get the
same reaction from the world audience as a Paris attack. So, India has to
ensure that its voice is heard through different means. And Bollywood and
sports are really potent weapons in India’s arsenal.
That being said, as a nation, we should be careful about how
we approach this situation. A diktat by the MNS without any backing by the
government, forcing Pakistani actors to leave the country and making them feel
they are not safe in India would not be the right way to go about it. It would
be far better (though I’m not sure how practical it would be) if the government
through an appropriate body arranges for Pakistani actors’ safe return to
Pakistan. The tirade of hate from many fronts on this issue is not helping our
cause, and we must show a dignity in our reaction to the entire situation.
These are times of war, and there should be no requirement
by India to act against its interests in the name of acceptance. We must
preserve our interests as a nation first. But, most importantly, we must do it
in a manner that is true to our nature and maintains the high standards of conduct
India has in world diplomacy.
