Protesters can shove their placards up their aisles. The Pakistani presence in Bollywood is strong, very strong.While the barbed fence dividing the two countries has grown spikier in recent times, the presence from across the border has grown stronger, at least in numbers.
In February we saw two Pakistani entertainers in prominent roles in Bollywood films. Mawra Hocane came and went unnoticed in Sanam Tere Kasam. Singer-actor Ali Zafar who has been in and out of India for the past five years made a cameo appearance in the recent Tere Bin Laden Dead Or Alive. No one noticed. Before him another top-ranking Pakistani model-actor Imran Abbas made an effort to be noticed opposite Bipasha Basu in Alone and in Muzaffar Ali’s period fiasco Jaan Nissar.
Not much happened and Imran is back home in Pakistan.Before Imran there was the very hot Sara Loren who strove to smoulder in Murder 3 and a film called Barkhaa. But nothing happened to her career in India althoughMukesh and Mahesh Bhatt swore by her talent and looks.Prior to Loren, other Pakistani actreses like Zeba Bakhtiar, Meera, Veena Malik and Humaima Malik have been pretty disastrous in their efforts to capture Bollywood .
Why are actors from Pakistan unable to make an impact in spite of being welcomed in Bollywood with reasonable fanfare and roles that showcase their talents?Didn’t Zeba Bakhtiar play a Pakistani girl in Henna?
One reason for the non-performance of Pakistani actors in Bollywood is their inability to anchor their presence culturally and geographically in Indian soil. They come here, make polite noises and go back without cultivating any sense of belonging. The male actors so far from Pakistan have been running to a fro between the two countries to ensure they are not seen as being disloyal to their own soul. They also have to ensure they conduct themselves with decorum on Indian soil.
Hence Fawad Khan considered by a certain section of Bollywood to be the hottest Pakistani import since Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan comes to India with his wife(to ensure the Bollywood ladies know he is booked), refuses to say anything remotely controversial, says he won’t kiss on screen and won’t do love-making scenes. In hisBollywood debut Khubsoorat Fawad did deign to take off his shirt(oh all you luckly mahilas of Hindustan) and told me in an interview that he would like to convert to Bollywood ’s code of conduct gradually.
As though Fawad were cracking a very intricate and secret code. With so many don’ts you would thinkBollywood would be wary of Fawad. After Khubsoorat he has Karan Johar’s Kapoor & Songs coming up in April. On this film would depend Fawad’s future.If it clicks it would also break the jinx on the success ration of Pakistani actors in Bollywood .
Interestingly while Pakistan’s male imports like Fawad and Imran Zahid have asserted their determination to maintain an aesthetic decorum in Bollywood the girls from Pakistan are known to have thrown all caution—and clothes—to the winds.
Pakistani actresses like Meera, Veena Malik and Sara Loren have been seen to be more than willing to show skin. But to no avail. The newest Pakistani recruit is Mahira Khan who makes her Bollywood debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Raees.
Mahira shot with the Khan in Bhuj recently.And reports suggest, Kutch Kutch Hota Hai. The chemistry according to Raees director Rahul Dholakia is appealing because Mahira conveys an old-world charm and doesn’t try to be a Bollywood hottie.
If Fawad dooesn’t want to kiss , neither does Mahira. They bring to Bollywood a tahzeeb that we lost withMeeena Kumari .Yup, Fawad and Mahira just might jump the barbed fence more successfully than their predecessors.
Provided their visas don’t betray their interests in Bollywood .

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Pink Director’s Next Featuring Yami As A Crime Reporter To Stream From February 16

Anniruddha Roy Chowdhury whose Pink featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu was one of the most important films of 2016, is all set to release his next Hindi film.
Entitled Lost, Anniruddha’s film , based on true events, will see Yami Gautam Dhar(that’s what the actress calls herself after her marriage) as a crime journalist. LOST is an emotional social thriller that represents a higher quest, a search for lost values of empathy and integrity.
Inspired by true events, Lost is a story of a bright young woman crime reporter in her relentless search for the truth behind the sudden disappearance of a young theatre activist.

Lost
Says Aniruddha “The shoot of LOST has been an incredible journey. I have been eager for the release of our hard-worked venture. The film is a realistic highlight of media in a social context and I am sure that it will give the audience a compelling watch. I am curious about its release and see the responses it shall get. I hope they will welcome it with open hearts.”
Yami Gautam Dhar who plays the lead of the crime reporter says, “I can’t be happier and more proud of the film’s selection for the opening night at CSAFF. I feel like its one that the people will connect to and will be the one that you cannot miss, especially in the current age and time. I have loved playing this role because it was such a special experience, it allowed me to explore so many layers of emotions as an actor and the entire team has worked really hard on it. I genuinely cannot wait for the film’s release, especially to see the reactions of the audience to it.”
The crime investigation drama boasts a stellar cast. Along with Yami, the film will feature Pankaj Kapur, Rahul Khanna, and an ensemble of younger talent, including Neil Bhoopalam, Pia Bajpai, and Tushar Pandey, in pivotal roles.
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Jamuna Had A Love-Hate Relationship With Bollywood

Veteran Telugu actress Jamuna who passed away on Friday, shared an uneasy relationship with the Hindi film industry.She did eleven Hindi films including the iconic Milan in 1967 where Jamuna agreed to play the second lead, or the supporting role if you will, to Nutan.
Jamuna as Gauri was the Other Woman who craved for the hero Sunil Dutt’s attention whereas he had eyes and devotion only for Nutan. In later years Aruna Irani played a similar role in Caravan.
In Milan Jamuna was not keen to do a supporting role. Producer L V Prasad tempted her with three chartbusting songs. Besides, Jamuna had played the same role in Mooga Manasulu, the Telugu original of Milan. But it was the songs composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal which convinced Jamuna to take up the second lead in Milan.
While Nutan had no solo songs in Milan, she did have the chartbuster duet Sawan ka mahina . Jamuna on the other hand, had two splendid Lata Mangeshkar solos: Tohey saawariya naahin khabariya and the magnificent Ghazal Aaj dil pe koi zor chalta nahin.Not only these, Jamuna also had a hit duet with Mukesh based on her character Gauri: Bol Gauri bol tera kaun piya.
But then, fate intervened. After the film released one of Jamuna’s solos, the poignant and memorable Aaj dil pe koi zor chalta nahin was snipped out of the film.
Here is what happened: the Ghazal , one of Lataji’s all-time greats, was very much a part of Milan when it released on 17 March 1967. But then it was seen to hamper the flow of the film and edited out. The beautiful song occurred right after intermission. Producer Prasad, a shrewd filmmaker, got to know that audiences prolonged their loo breaks as there was a song after the break. Hence the sacrifice of a seriously sonorous melody.
Jamuna hardly did Hindi films after Milan. Her last Bollywood appearance was in Raj Kumar Kohli’s Raj Tilak where she was lost in a multistarrer as the royal queen.
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Karan Johar Moves Alia Song From Switzerland To Kashmir

The romantic duet in Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani which was to be shot in Switzerland and which was delayed due to the film’s leading lady Alia Bhatt’s motherhood, is now being relocated to Kashmir.
Purely out of the love for new mom Alia.
Says a source in the know, “Karan loves Alia like his own daughter. He would do anything for her. He postponed the release of Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani as the love duet could not be shot before Alia’s maternity leave. Karan had decided to shoot the song in Switzerland after Alia’s maternity love. But now he has relocated the song to Kashmir as Alia doesn’t want to leave her baby girl behind for long stretches.”
And as Karan Johar argued, snow is snow. How does it matter whether it is Switzerland or Kashmir?
This song would be Karan Johar’s tribute to his idol Yash Chopra. Alia would be dressed in chiffon sarees while Ranveer, for a change, would be seen in formals.
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Bobby Deol’s Switchover To Villainous Roles

After Prakash Jha’s webseries Ashram where Bobby played a sleazy godman, and Love Hostel where he was a ruthless assassin, he is playing the villain to Ranbir Kapoor in Sandeep Vanga’s Animal.
Bobby says it is not conscious career decision to play negative characters but a conscious decision to play interesting characters. “ I don’t look at characters as positive or negative.When I watch films there is always one character that stays with you. I want to play that character.”
Prakash Jha’s Ashram proved a gamechanger for Bobby. He admits finding challenging roles is tough. “I am trying. I am doing Sandeep Vanga’s Animal with Ranbir Kapoor , Parineeti Chopra. Then I am doing the family film Apne 2 which I am very excited about.”
In an earlier interview with this writer Bobby spoke about his long absence from screen before Prakash Jha’s Ashram. “My fans would ask why I wasn’t being seen on the screen.And I couldn’t tell them it was because I wasn’t getting good roles. But my fans stood by me. They gave me the strength to keep looking for the right roles. Thankfully I found the roles I liked. My new films have given me some new fans. I am thankful I am still here. Yeah , I am in a good space right now.”
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