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Did you know? Javed Bashir's concert in Delhi went off without a hitch

Did you know? Javed Bashir's concert in Delhi went off without a hitch

Music travels without a visa; it can't be stopped by cancelling shows, the singer said
Updated 22 Oct, 2015

While Hindu extremist party Shiv Sena's recent clampdown on Pakistani artistes in India gives the impression that all of our stars must have gone into hiding, singer Javed Bashir's concert in New Delhi last weekend went off without a hitch.

Indian NGO Routes2Roots invited Javed to perform last weekend as part of their continual series of musical events that aims to bridge the gap between India and the rest of the world.

Javed echoed the same idea in his later interview with The Hindu:

"We as singers can bridge the gap between the two countries by producing music which crosses boundaries and creates love between the people from both sides. If musicians from both sides collaborate, then they can make music which can be presented to the world as a masterpiece. The need is to understand the fact that music creates bond not hatred."

While Javed Bashir's performance was uninterrupted, other Pakistani musicians like Ghulam Ali, Mekaal Hasan Band or Atif Aslam have not been as fortunate in the recent past.

Also read: Shiv Sena demands cancellation of Ghulam Ali's concert in India

But Bashir is adamant that "music travels without a visa":

"I think music has no religion and boundaries. Music cannot be stopped by cancelling the shows as it travels without visa. Wherever I have performed most of my audience come from India and even in [my concert in Delhi] all the accompanists are from India which clearly shows that citizens want to enjoy music and music is a synonym of peace."

Javed has contributed to Bollywood several times in films such as Kahaani, Cocktail and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, and will soon be heard again on the soundtracks of Rajeev Kumar's Saavi and Sudhir Mishra’s upcoming project.

Mahesh Bhatt responds to Shiv Sena threats to Mahira and Fawad

Shiv Sena has said that they won't allow Mahira and Faad to promote their films in India
Shiv Sena has said that they won't allow Mahira and Faad to promote their films in India

Shiv Sena most recently issued threats to popular Pakistani film stars, Mahira Khan and Fawad Khan.

Mahira is playing Shah Rukh Khan's love interest in the upcoming film Raees, while Fawad has been roped in two films Kapoor & Sons and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Shiv Sena says that they will not allow the actors to promote their films on Maharashtra soil.

While Mahira and Fawad's producers have not openly commented on Shiv Sena's threats, Mahesh Bhatt, who is a vocal supporter of using cultural means to promote Pak-India peace, called on the government to act:

"When I made a film called Saathi with Pakistani cricketer turned actor Mohsin Khan, he was asked to go away. The government should act now and not allow people [to instill] fear in the minds of cultural ambassadors," he said to Emirates 24/7.

Comments

kaliraja thangamani Oct 22, 2015 04:42pm
We welcome the artists from Pakistan. India belongs to them also.This land was owned by their grant parents, they lived here.We want peace and peace loving people from Pakistan,it is your own land.
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Jay Oct 22, 2015 05:15pm
Musicians from Pakistan are most welcome no matter a 1000 Shiv Senas.
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Satt Oct 22, 2015 06:46pm
Areey that's Delhi man..its not Mumbai.In Delhi nobody asks you where you have come from.Shiv Sena says no Pakistani artist should come to Mumbai and no cricket series with Pakistan.
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imtiaz Faruqui Oct 22, 2015 07:31pm
@kaliraja thangamani Good to hear such loving comments.
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Vijay Oct 22, 2015 07:39pm
That's nice to know that a Pakistani artist's concert went well in India. Now when can a India Hindu artist do a concert in Islamabad?
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Pakistani Oct 22, 2015 08:07pm
probably extremists Indians dont know if he is pakistani.
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Sudhanshu Swami Oct 22, 2015 08:07pm
Shiv sena have presence in Mumbai only. While Pakistani commenters were blaming BJP, RSS, MODI for what shiv sena doing in Mumbai. For other parts of India if anything is going smooth, there is silence.
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kkk Oct 22, 2015 08:27pm
Wherever I have performed most of my audience come from India and even in [my concert in Delhi] all the accompanists are from India which clearly shows that citizens want to enjoy music and music is a synonym of peace." this is spoken by javed bashir . its show that if some element from society are not peace loving and hater monger then you cannot host same view for whole socity . coomen man in india has no time to waste on religion and other voliance related thing. he just want to live peaceful life and want to progess in al aspect of life and care about family
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kkk Oct 22, 2015 08:32pm
if some elemnt in india are not good that does not mean that whole india is bad.
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John Tola Oct 22, 2015 09:24pm
@kaliraja thangamani What is wrong with you man. I agree we welcome Pakistani artists in India. But how is India their land? Your intelligence level - I do not want to say much about it. By that same logic all Pakistan land is Indian's land too. Do you ever hear Pakistanis say that?
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Saira khan durrani Oct 22, 2015 10:22pm
It's sad that our artistes are crossing borders to earn money. Today my neighbor asked me if Pakistan is a poor country and why their artists are not recognized in Pakistan itself.It hurt. People all over the world are reading about how our artists are finding work in India.
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timetostopthis Oct 22, 2015 10:58pm
Lets hope this is going to become two sided...at the moment its all in one direction..towards India.
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someone Oct 22, 2015 11:39pm
Awwww I wonder where did the Shaan "Border" Shahid go now.
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M.Saeed Oct 23, 2015 12:13am
Those who barricade music and poetry are terrorists of worst type.
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Vijay Ji Oct 23, 2015 12:36am
@Pakistani Not unless he has a green passport stapled to his forehead.
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k k tiwari India Oct 23, 2015 12:52am
Shiv sena & Mumbai is not Whole India, Come enjoy here, leave these fanatics, they don't represent India even 1 %
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Waqar Khan Oct 23, 2015 01:40am
@kkk I wish you would have the same feeling for Pakistan also.
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Sanjay Rao Oct 23, 2015 02:52am
Looks like Pakistanis think India is one homogeneous society. Nothing about India can be generalized. What is true in Mumbai may not be true in Blore or Delhi.
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Shridhar Subrahmanyam Oct 23, 2015 04:19am
Shiv Sena's writ works only in Mumbai and coastal area around Mumbai. In the rest of the country they are irrelevant
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ali Oct 23, 2015 05:27am
Creating unemployment in India. Why they cant earn a living in pakistan?
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Arun Oct 23, 2015 05:31am
@kkk that is how Pakistani media and commentators present India. Regarding extremism, India falls way back to Pakistan.
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Sunil Oct 23, 2015 06:36am
These are unknown singers and actors searching platform for success in India. We should welcome them but not allow too sit on head. There is huge raw talent in India. Give them chance.
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white noise Oct 23, 2015 07:02am
this guy is an Ace, an Ace I tell you !!!
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Lahore Oct 23, 2015 08:05am
Shiv Sena is the best thing ever happened to the Pakistani hardliners. "I told you so" is killing the Pakistani liberals
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Rebel Oct 23, 2015 08:34am
@Vijay Had you seen any indian artist performing in pakistn recently ..... not in my information ...
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Jay Oct 23, 2015 08:40am
SS is doing everything with Modi's blessings. Million dollar question is: Who will tame SS?
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Asif Oct 25, 2015 08:52pm
it simply went without a hitch because there were no promotions and shive Sena were not aware of it. Try promotion of his concert next time and see what happen.
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