Pakan never welcomed Lata Mangeshkar even though India hosted Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, says Javed Akhtar: ‘This is one-way traffic’ | Bollywood News

Veteran screenwriter and lyric Javed Akhtar was asked if the ban on Pakani artes working in films was valid, as Fawad Khan’s upcoming film Abir Gulaal has been banned the Information and Broadcasting Minry. Javed said that such a question had two answers and he proceeded to explain them both in an interaction with PTI on Tuesday.
The veteran lyric writer said that in the past, India has hosted many iconic Pakani artes like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Noor Jehan, but Pakan has never returned the favour, which is perhaps why Lata Mangeshkar, despite recieving so much love from Pakanis, never performed in the country as their system never made way for her to perform there. He also said that banning Pakani artes from the Indian space will please the fundamentals as they want to create a wall between the two countries, so Pakanis cannot see the liberties enjoyed Indians.
Javed Akhtar told PTI, “The first question should be whether we should allow the Pakani artes here. There are two answers, both of them are equally logical. You can toss a coin to find the right answer.” He then spoke about the many great Pakani singers performing in India and how they received great reception here. “It has been a one way traffic, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali, Noor Jahan came to India, we gave them a great reception. Faiz Ahmad Faiz, who is a poet of subcontinent, he was living in Pakan, when he came to India during the AB Vajpayee regime, he was treated like a state head, the kind of respect given the government,” he said.
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Javed then added that even though many Pakani poets wrote for Lata Mangeshkar, their government never honoured her in the way Indians honoured their artes. “I am afraid, this has never been reciprocated, I mean, I have no complain with the people of Pakan. Big poets of Pakan have written poems for Lata Mangeshkar. She was hands down most popular art in India and Pakan in the 60’s and 70’s, but why there was not a single performance of Lata Mangeshkar in Pakan? We have received artes with open arms but it was reciprocated the establishment. I won’t complain to people of Pakan because they loved her, that’s why she was so popular. They admired her but there was some blockage, the blockage was system, which I don’t understand. This is one-way traffic,” he said.
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Javed Akhtar then presented another point of view and said, “If we block Pakani artes with a very solid logic, who are we pleasing in Pakan? The Army and the fundamental? This is what they want. A tall wall between India and Pakan. So Pakanis cannot see what kind of freedom and liberty Indians enjoy. They want the dance, it suits them. Both these questions are equally valid.”
He said that the idea of banning Pakani artes must be revisited at a later moment as presently, there is no “friendly feeling” towards them. “At the moment, there is hardly any warmth or friendly feeling because of what has happened in Pahalgam. So this is not the time to think about it. This could be thought in better times and hopefully after some years, some sense will prevail and they will have better attitudes towards India from the establishment of Pakan,” he said and added, “But at the moment, this question should not be asked, not possible.”