Pakistani actors have gathered a huge Indian following in the past two decades. Our dramas have become hugely popular in India, and many Pakistani stars are household names among the Indian audience. Similarly, Bollywood stars have a fan following in Pakistan. However, this never took away the animosity between the two countries on the governmental level. The Indian Government, since the rise of Modi and the BJP, has become vicious, and intolerance has exponentially increased in Indian society. The latest manifestation came when the Indian Government blamed Pakistan for the Pehelgam Attacks without proper evidence. They went on a banning spree after this and banned Pakistani dramas and social media accounts of big stars in their country. As usual, there were never any serious measures towards investigation, and only petty measures were taken.
The Beginning
Pakistani actors and singers have worked in India since the very beginning. But things were different at that time. The artists liked to maintain their dignity before the work they were getting across the border. Zeba Bakhtiar is an actress who became a top star in India years ago. She was the Raj Kapoor heroine and only picked projects that did not cross her lines. The starlet shared in one of her interviews that India and Pakistan will always be at odds. Someone will make a statement, and suddenly everything will go haywire. She added that back in the day, the producers she worked with were protective, and they used to take ownership of the artist.
This is something missing nowadays, as we saw how Fawad Khan’s film was shelved within hours of the attack. Here is how Zeba Bakhtiar defined the old dynamics:
Post-2015 Disrespect
Pakistani actors started getting a huge fan following in India after Pakistani dramas started airing on Zee Zindagi. Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, and Sanam Saeed became sensations for their projects Humsafar and Zindagi Gulzar Hai. They were offered Bollywood films, and Fawad did Khoobsurat, Kapoor & Sons, and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, while Mahira made her debut with SRK’s Raees. The two actors were already big names in India before they made their film debut. But India, as always, treated them with disrespect.
Both artists were banned and disrespected in late 2016-2017. They were not allowed to work in Bollywood again, and fake news of them being deported was circulated by the Indian media. The artists, however, kept with the line of “Artists have no boundaries” and never openly called out this behaviour of the Indian media and government. It was once again the Pakistani fans who stood by their favourite stars and replied back to the disrespect that their favourite stars were receiving from Indians.
The Fawad Khan Case
Fawad Khan is considered one of the biggest stars in Pakistan, despite working sporadically. After making his Bollywood debut in Khoobsurat, he has primarily focused on projects in India. Following a ban, he opted not to appear on television. He was involved in two films, including The Legend of Maula Jatt, which he had already been signed for before the controversy arose. He chose to work on a series for an Indian platform. This decision has disappointed many of his Pakistani fans, who miss seeing him in mainstream projects. Recently, he addressed the criticism he faces for not taking on Pakistani projects, explaining that some people are possessive of him, while others criticize him simply for the sake of it.
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Fawad Khan is a Pakistani actor who never says anything on social media because he frankly does not use it. He did not make statements in the Gaza Genocide or the Jaffar Express Attack either, but he posted for the Pehelgam Attacks. This caused a lot of uproar among Pakistani fans who thought that at this point, this is just a lack of self-respect. His film Abir Gulal is once again on hold, and his Instagram account also got banned in India.
The Mahira Khan Case
Mahira Khan is also counted among the top Pakistani actors. She also had a grand debut in Bollywood when she played the lead in SRK’s Raees but she navigated her career in a far better way than Fawad Khan and today she is a bigger star than him. She has worked consistently in Pakistan. Mahira is proud of the work she did in Bollywood and she always talks about her Indian film but she never belittles her Pakistani work. She will speak about her Shoaib Mansoor’s Bol and Sarmad Khoosat’s Humsafar with the same vigor. She has also worked on television and she will speak up on Pakistani issues as much as she speaks out on Indian attacks.
The Hania Aamir Case
Hania Aamir is a young star who just started gaining limelight in India. Her dramas Mere Humsafar and Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum made her a household name in India. She was cast in a film with Diljit Dosanjh and she was promoting many Indian designers. The actress was among the first Pakistani artists who condemned Pehelgam attacks. She has spoken about propagating peace but she was shunned, her Instagram account was banned, she was reportedly removed from the Diljit Dosanjh movie and Indians were hurling abusive and offensive statements towards her:
Does Art Have No Boudaries?
Recently, art has no boundaries was once again being propagated. This statement is a universal truth, but Radcliffe Line defies its logic. Unfortunately, India has never believed in it. As soon as they have a security breach due to their own wrong policies, they will start targeting Pakistan and Pakistani actors and singers. Their artists are also vicious and seldom can hold their own opinions. They start towing the Government’s line of hatred. They will call for bans on Pakistanis and what our stars do? Invite the same hatred-spewing Javed Akhtar to their homes and will sit at his feet. One-sided love will always bring pain and that is something our artists should have learned by now. This is what happened recently:
In Conclusion
Pakistan as a nation has seen the worst of terrorism. We are among the biggest victims of terrorist attacks, with a loss of over 80,000 lives in addition to property damage. We have fought the worst attacks and lost two generations in the American WoT. Our stars have also gone through this pain. Thus, they need to be dignified when India starts attacking us, that too without any evidence. Patriotism then needs to come before art and work opportunities. Yes, we as a nation know how painful it is to lose lives in mindless attacks, but we do not need to be apologetic for something we have not done. Pakistani actors need to grow a spine, and they should condemn violence everywhere in the world, but do not disgrace themselves or the country they represent.
Despite repeated bans and public disrespect, many Pakistani actors continue to chase Bollywood like it’s their only lifeline. Their silence on India’s political hostility isn’t diplomacy, it is desperation wrapped in fear of losing opportunities. While artists from across the border face no such pressure to please, ours remain apologetic, even when wronged. It’s not ambition anymore — it’s an obsession with approval from a door that keeps slamming shut.
