After Zee, MNS and MAMI, IFFI Joins the Pakistan Banned-Wagon?

The International Film Festival of India will not show any Pakistani films this year.

Fawad Khan is one of the 4 leads in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. (Photo courtesy: Twitter; altered by The Quint)

When Zee decided to stop airing all Pakistani shows on its channel ‘Zindagi’ after the Uri attacks, the channel seems to have set off a trend. A trend that built pressure only on the entertainment industry. A trend that, somehow, demands a ‘ban’ on all Pakistani actors and the films they star in.

Recently, MAMI Director Anupama Chopra took a call that the film festival will not screen Pakistani movie Jago Hua Savera. We saw MNS protest against the release of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil because it starred Pakistani actor Fawad Khan.

And now, it seems that the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will not screen any Pakistani films either this year.

(GIF: Giphy.com)

‘Pakistani Entries Not Up to The Mark This Year'

Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu held a press conference on Tuesday to speak about the highlights of the film festival. Director of Film Festivals Senthil Rajan also addressed the media at the press meet.The film festival will be held in Goa from November 20-28.

At the press conference, they announced that they had received a total of 1032 entries from across the globe. Of these, IFFI 2016 will screen 194 films from 88 countries. But Pakistan, it turns out, won’t be one of those 88 countries.

They further added that they’d received two entries from Pakistan but both were not shortlisted as the committee felt they weren’t "up to the mark". The Director of Film Festivals went on to say that he didn’t remember the names of the films, just that they weren’t short listed.

Quite a diplomatic approach, don’t you think? This way, they don’t have to face the wrath of either the ‘nationalists’ (for showing a film from across the border) or of the liberals (for trying to curb art). It’s a win-win situation.

A friendly reminder: In 2007, Khuda Kay Liye was the first Pakistani film to be screened at IFFI (at its 38th edition). Last year, Pakistani filmmaker Jamshed Mahmood Raza's Moor was featured at the festival. Both are award-winning films.

Follow The Trend?

Those under pressure to follow this trend of being against Pakistani artistes and content tried to make it look like they’d been a part of this game of ‘nationalism’ all along. But the signs of strain were clearly visible.

Karan Johar, before the release of his film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, issued an apologetic video in public interest. The expression on his face was incredibly pity-inducing. He even went on to say that he will not work with another Pakistani actor ever again.

It must’ve worked though, because the film finally released, didn’t it? (Spoiler: Although some people say Lucknow was originally meant to be Lahore in the film. Koi baat nahi, kuch paane ke liye kuch khona padta hai.)

(Gif: Giphy.com)

But Should Only Films be Pakistan-free?

Why should only Fawad Khan have to go back to Pakistan? Why should MAMI, a festival meant to celebrate culture, diversity and art, have to cancel a screening? Why should Karan Johar have to apologise for working with an artiste from across the border’?

If the idea is to target Pakistan and Pakistanis, then why restrict the effort only to the film industry? Are films being targeted because they are soft targets?

Sports, okay. Travel, okay. Trade, okay. Cinema, not okay?

Abhay Deol, one of the few Bollywood actors who spoke openly against the ‘ban’ on Pakistani actors, voiced similar views.