The ban called on Pakistani actors in Bollywood by the Indian Motion Pictures Association (IMPAA) has been deemed illegal, extra-constitutional and irrelevant by film producer and censor chief Pahlaj Nihalani.
“Who are these people asking for a ban?” he asks. “By whose authority are they asking for this ban? Not one producer-member of IMPAA is working with a Pakistani artiste. The ones who stand to lose heavily from such a ban are Karan Johar and Ritesh Sidhwani, who have almost completed films with Pakistani artistes. These artistes, who have worked in these films, should not be asked to leave. They have every right to work here.”
However, Nihalani feels that rules regarding work permits for Pakistanis must change now. “Direct import from Pakistan into India is prohibited,” he explains. “Since movies are exported and imported between India and Pakistan through Dubai, how is it that Pakistani actors have been getting work permits to work in Mumbai? Not just actors, but all professionals from Pakistan must be prohibited from working in India, until relations between the two countries improve.”
