Source: IANS
A passport problem for Pakistani artists is forcing Bollywood composer Pritam Chakraborty to rush to Lahore to record a song with Atif Aslam for the upcoming film ‘Kismat Konnection’.
‘I need to urgently record a song with Atif for Aziz Mirza’s ‘Kismat Connection’, but he is suddenly having problems with his passport. So he can’t come to Mumbai, I’m flying down to Lahore to record the song with him,’ Pritam, who composed music for films like ‘Life…In a Metro’, told IANS.
Despite all the talk of amity, solidarity and free-flowing cultural exchanges between India and Pakistan, artists from the neighbouring country seem to be finding it hard to obtain permission to come to Mumbai to record songs.
Pritam has consistently and tellingly used Pakistani voices - the latest being Atif in the ‘Race’ track ‘O jaan-e-jaana’.
He doesn’t mind making the trip to Lahore because he has more business to mix with the pleasure of visiting Pakistan.
‘I’ve never been to Pakistan. And ‘Jannat’, which has my music, is being premiered in Pakistan later this month. So it would be mixing business with pleasure.’
However, he says if the passport problem persists, he will rope in an Indian artist to record the promotional number for Mani Shankar’s ‘Mukhbiir’.
‘There’s one more song, a special promotional number, which I’ve just composed for Mani Shankar’s ‘Mukhbiir’. That requires Rahat Fateh Ali Khan. I just might record that song too while I’m in Lahore. Or I may go for an Indian voice.’
Apart from Pritam, others are equally worked up.
Mahesh Bhatt, who spearheaded Bollywood’s musical move towards Pakistani singers, said: ‘I started this whole movement of musicians and actors from across the border to Bollywood in those cold days when looking towards Pakistan was looked at as an act of treason. I was told what I did was suicidal.
‘During the last four years we’ve done more to improve India-Pakistan relations than our predecessors have done in 56 years. We’re premiering our ‘Jannat’ in Pakistan on May 14.’
Bhatt, who brought the Pakistani band Jal, actress Meera, rock singer Mustafa Zahid and others to India, says he had a discussion on the subject with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
‘At a private dinner, I categorically asked the prime minister if we could make financial investments across the border. He assured me there would be no problem from his government or Pakistan’s government either,’ said Bhatt who stopped directing films after ‘Zakhm’.
Bhatt, who directed critically acclaimed films like ‘Saaransh’ and ‘Kaash’ and commercial hits such as ‘Naam’ and ‘Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke’, now concentrates on his production house Vishesh Films.
So what does Bhatt have to say about the new developments?
‘If singers from across the border are finding it difficult to come here, then let me tell you, our prime minister had personally assured me that the entertainment industry is free to move back and forth and that the bureaucracy of neither side would be allowed to obstruct us.
‘Globalisation means a free movement of capital and creativity. Bureaucrats can’t throw roadblocks into the process of rapprochement. If there’s a slowing down in the process of thawing the ice between the two countries, I’ll personally go to our prime minister and present the issue to him.’
Bhatt is ready to take an appointment with Manmohan Singh on what he sees as a clamping down on globalisation.
‘From the impoverished Russian dancer to a Pakistani singer to a Bihari labourer who find it difficult to make a living at home, they will all make a beeline for Mumbai because this is the city of dreams and opportunities. Mumbai has to give them a place of dignity. Mumbai has to live up to its reputation of being the city of dreams.’
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Tags: artists, Bollywood, composer, Kismat Konnection, passport, problem
10 responses so far ↓
1 siddharth // Jun 23, 2008 at 11:02 pm
hi……shahi, i am a big fan, u r film will be super dupper hit ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and be ambarance
2 palash // Jul 4, 2008 at 7:44 pm
shahid u rocks…………….wotever ur childish look is the fact thts taking u on these heights…m a big fan of urs…….i liked the movie dill mange more most
3 Nilofer Gilani // Jul 20, 2008 at 11:46 pm
These shameless sell-out Pakistani’ singers, why are they going to india in the first place??? I hope they get more bad treatment, we should kick them out of Pakistan, and beat them up when anyone comes back from india for selling us out and not having any self-respect. they have no self respect left, everything is about money? have u ever heard of a Palestinian going to Israel or being die hard Israeli actor/song fans?? there something fundamentaly wrong here. Wake up Pakistani people, have self respect, remember that these indians are and will always be against us, plus there are 100 other countries in the world which we can go to and work with. Going to india trivializes our problems and makes them worse. Have some principals, self-respect, promote your own culture. Even big singers like Noor Jehan were offered millions and millions of rupees to perform in india, but she always refused, this next generation has several sell-outs and people with out dignity. And lastly, and more importantly, STOP WATCHING THESE INDIAN MOVIES AND LISTENING TO THEIR INDIAN SONGS AT YOUR WEDDINGS/RESTAURANTS.. we have OUR OWN MUSIC AND MOVIES, and if you want to be international, watch and listen to WESTERN MUSIC.. (have you ever heard of a Palestinian playing israeli music at their functions??? and they are a people who are directly related) WAKE UP PEOPLE.. STAND TALL, PROUD and Independent
4 samiksha // Aug 12, 2008 at 8:01 pm
hey shahid i love u in kismat konnection with vidya balan u 2 look HOT HOT HOT 2gether !!!! in kismat konnection though people say u look like a kid with vidya balan people say that vidya balan is a amma!! i dont care i love vidya balan and shahid kapoor man u guys rock at the film specialy in the song move ur body, bakhuda tumhi ho ,ay papi man i love ur pair ur just 2 hot 2 bair pls mail me if u can i love u shahid and vidya balan i will watch every movie of urs !!!!!
5 samiksha // Aug 12, 2008 at 8:03 pm
I LAM A BIG FAN OF URS I LOVE U !!!!
6 hitaksha // Sep 12, 2008 at 1:10 pm
Shahid Kapoor u r d best. u r my favourite ACTOR and i mean this. u r very,very,very cute and handsome.I like u .even though i luv ur smile,ur dance nd ur attitude i just luv this. hope u will read this msg. u r just toooooooo hot. i’ll watch every movies of urs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
7 Nijju bhai // Oct 6, 2008 at 3:10 am
Nilofer Gilani..
What on earth are u talking about??? all you are is a hater. If music and entertainment can help to build ties between 2 countries then why do u want to stop it? the truth is that India is the forefront of entertainment from the whole sub-continent and it is not an act of ’seeling-out’ for Pakistani artists to perform there. It is broadening horizons and building bridges. It seems you have a very deep hatred for India, may I remind you that your Grandfather was also Indian? And your argument about Palestine / Israel does not make sense, they are a people who are at war with each other in a divided state, and have more uncommon cultures than two countries who used to be one. People like you should be kicked out of Pakistan for being a hater, not those artists who are striving to succeed. I applaud the crossover efforts between India and Pakistan, and may this leed to understanding, peace and union between a people who have been divided so cruelly for political gain, may it be something that takes away the hatred from people’s hearts and change the mental attitudes of the future generations, Inshallah.
8 Nilofer Gilani // Oct 8, 2008 at 2:34 am
hahaha.. what kinda india-centric nonsense is that… my forefathers were neither indian.. and prior to the arrival of Britain in South Asia, we were never one, if anything, my forefathers conquered vast swathes of your land… but get this through your indian-centric view point of South Asia, we were and are not one.. lol!! Im suspecting your another fake profiled indian, such a complex bunch you are, but I wont generalize because there are many non-biased and normal indians out there who respect Pakistani’s for being themselves without generalizing. Plus we dont want to build bridges with people who espouse nonsense like you. South Asia is made up of a plethora of different peoples who are unique in their own right and deserve to have their own unique cultures instead of being lumped together into the artificially British created india.. btw… I never came up with that statement, that statement was made by none other than Winston Churchill, who was well aware of the artificial creation the British made in South Asia. Also, Palestinian and Israeli peoples belong to the same family (Isaac/Ismael).. they are of similar backgrounds unlike the peoples of South Asia, so unless your an indian refugee living in Pakistan (Mohajir), there is no similiarity as you put it. Also, I dont have any hatred towards indians, and have many friends from there, but I do have a problem with people like you who want to ”lump” us all together cuz that is something we are not and never will be.
9 Javed // Oct 8, 2008 at 6:25 pm
You read my mind Nilofer! :)) thanks to God there are people like you out there! I dont know whats wrong with these people, its like they dont have any self respect! and to mr nijju bhai, get lost! you dont know nothing about Pakistan and its people, take your garbage dilutional ideas on history elsewhere. We were and will never be one. Dont ever comment on pakistan related topics, they have nothing to do with you. And dont talk abt. peoples grandfathers you complex evil indian, go figure you people would stoop to such a low level. Take your entertainment industry and bollywood nonsense and keep it all to yourself, we dont want anything to do with it! the only people who watch that stuff in Pakistan are the iliterate people(s) or people who are ignorant!
Mrs. Gilani, Lots of respect to you, we need more people like you Nilofer, to set these uneducated, iliterate, and ignorant people in Pakistan straight, promote our own proud industry, and especialy our culture, keep up the good work. :))
10 Javed // Oct 8, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Those Pakistani actors/actresses got what they deserved, and I agree, people in Pakistan should protest and boycott purchasing their products for being sell-outs. They have lost all my respect for being ”defectors”.
Our industry needs to advance itself, and we should be doing joint projects with countries like Lebanon, Dubai, France, China, Brazil and USA where we can learn, improve ourselves and develop our own unique industry. But our entertainment industry/actors/actresss should NOT go to INDIA!! thats just cheap and horrible, screw that, cuz if they only go there, its going to be the same cheap bolly crap style, there’s no originality and it doesnt suit our Pakistani industry,(you can already see it in some of the dramas on GEO TV-urdu television), we need to open up to the greater world and get the hell out of this limited and poverty ridden South Asia..
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