India refuses to withdraw ban on Pakistani artists, reports Indian media

It looks like Pakistani artists are not going to be welcome across the border any time soon.

According to ANI News, Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association (IMPPA) has refused to withdraw its ban on Pakistani artists working in India. The ban came about two years ago, right before the release of Fawad Khan's Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Mahira Khan's Raees alongside Shah Rukh Khan and has since caused turbulence on both sides of the border for artists.

Also read: Indian film association bans Pakistani talent from working in India

T.P. Aggarwal, IMPPA President, told the news agency, that the organisation was against Fawad Khan being paid INR 5crore for the Karan Johar directorial, in which the Pakistani star features alongside Anushka Sharma and Ranbir Kapoor.

He added that they are "against the view of allowing Pakistani artists in Bollywood."

In 2016, the film workers association of Raj Thackeray's party had given a 48-hour period to all Pakistani artistes to leave their country otherwise they said they'd do it themselves, forcefully.

“We gave a 48 hour deadline to Pakistani actors and artists to leave India or MNS will push them out,” said Amey Khopkar, MNS Chitrapat Sena.

Following the friction between the two countries over Kashmir, some in India have started opposing the work of Pakistani artistes in their country. Earlier, one Indian journalist penned a letter to Fawad asking him to leave the country, stating the war on Kashmir as an issue: "We have watched in pain how you have chosen to look away when your country is inflicting pain on us." he wrote.

It seems like sentiments have not changed much since then.