Sajal Aly would ‘love to work in India again’
Actor Sajal Aly is one of the few names in Pakistan that have not only achieved immense success inside the country but also left a mark internationally, especially in India.
She debuted in Bollywood with Mom in 2017 and worked alongside the late veteran actor Sridevi. She received critical as well as commercial acclaim for her performance as Arya Sabarwal. After the 2016 Uri attacks, the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association passed a resolution to ban Pakistani actors from working in the country.
Six years later after her Hindi film debut, the actor remembers the experience fondly. “I would love to work in India again. But I don’t know when. Let’s see what the future has in store for me. I have been talking about this for years and years. I don’t think politics should come between art and the artist. And I hope the barrier between India and Pakistan are removed,” Aly told the Hindustan Times in a recent interview.
Aly recently made her Hollywood debut with the romantic-comedy What’s Love Got to Do with It? earlier this year in February. It was directed by Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and featured veteran actor Shabana Azmi.
“It was a dream come true moment for me…Un mein ek apnaniyat hai, jis mein bahut sukon hai [they have a sense of familiarity in them that I find very peaceful],” said the Khel Khel Mein actor.
Speaking about the late English Vinglish actor, she said, “I was very close to Sridevi ji. She left us very soon unfortunately. I have never really talked about her and my relationship. But I have to say that it is really unfortunate that we as artists get stuck in the tensions between both the countries.
“Our work suffers. When I worked in Bollywood, I got a lot of love and respect, which is close to my heart till date.”
She still maintains a close relationship with Indian actor Janhvi Kapoor, the daughter of Sridevi, according to the news outlet.
“I feel I should have one house in India because she [Sridevi] was so close to me,” the Kuch Ankahi actor commented. “She was like my mother. It was not just a work relationship that we had. It was something more than that. She met my mother when she came to India when I was shooting Mom.
“Before the release of the film, my mother left us and then after a few months, Sridevi ji really left us. It was a very emotional bond, We used to talk on phone for hours, where she used to guide me just like her daughter. I really miss her,” concluded Aly.
