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It's sad how Bollywood can't be a sustainable choice for Pakistani actors: Mikaal Zulfiqar

It's sad how Bollywood can't be a sustainable choice for Pakistani actors: Mikaal Zulfiqar

The actor offers his take on how tensions between India and Pakistan reflect on films in the subcontinent
25 Oct, 2016

After Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Shaan Shahid and more have spoken about how tensions between India and Pakistan are affecting the film industry, the latest actor to sound off is Mikaal Zulfiqar.

In a post on Facebook attached to a picture of himself with Indian actors Om Puri and Naseeruddin Shah, the actor stated that he wasn't surprised that relations have deteriorated following the Uri incident. "I personally first experienced this back in 2009," he said. "Every time there has been serious political tension between the countries, multiple spheres suffer — including the arts."

The actor admitted that working in Bollywood is an "attractive prospect" for Pakistani actors, and said he continues to receive offers to work across the border. However, he feels that working in Bollywood is not a sustainable career choice, given that tensions between the two countries may bubble up at any time.

"In Pakistan we have all the potential to make a valuable contribution to the arts and culture locally, nationally, regionally and internationally - we just need better support from our own society," he continued. "It is up to Pakistanis to support, encourage and value local talent."

The actor fully endorsed a reversal of the current situation though, saying: "I firmly believe in peace between the two countries and our communities... It is very sad when tensions spill over, it divides the very mechanisms that have the capacity to unite us. Culture reflects and mirrors our society - and what sadder reality is there when even our cultural spheres are denied the opportunity to collaborate."

Comments

Aamer Oct 25, 2016 05:46pm
Bollywood was never a sustainable choice for Pakistani actors. In the past Zeba Bakhtiar and Mohsin Khan had some success but in the end had to come back to Pakistan. Why cant Pakistani actors try Hollywood. If ugly Farida Pinto, Prinanka and Depika can get Hollywood films why cant Mahvish Hayat, Sanam Saeed, Saba Qamer and Armina Rana can star in Hollywood movie. Mikal Zulfiqar was a flop himself in Bollywood.
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Nelson Oct 25, 2016 05:59pm
All in all Bollywood is like a launching pad of the entailment side of things to Pakistani artist which has a huge regional and international reach. The loss or non availability of this launching pad is a paradox of a kind . Where in one place it I leads to distructive results and in another place it makes a constructive contribution. Should we go after this launch pads and deny both constructive and destructive outcomes.
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Giri Oct 25, 2016 06:11pm
@Aamer : You should ask this question to Hollywood. Hope before that you will realize that you need acting talent to act in movies. And your standard of so called beauty may not be same as that of others.
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