The detention and release of Pakistani singer Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in India, has put the always contentious cross-border cultural exchange in the spotlight, once again
The detention and release of Pakistani singer Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in India, has put the always contentious cross-border cultural exchange in the spotlight, once again
ADVERTISEMENT
Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's detention at the Delhi airport for carrying an unreasonable amount of US dollars in his baggage, has thrown up several important questions on the issue of cross-border cultural exchange.
Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
For years, we have welcomed Pakistani artistes into India to sing and act in Hindi films.
u00a0
One of the first filmmakers to do so was Manoj Kumar. 'Patriotic' Kumar saw nothing unpatriotic about Pakistan's film couple Mohammad and Zeba Ali playing Kumar's bhaiyya and bhabhi in the 1989 fiasco, Clerk.
u00a0
But it did not open the floodgates of cultural give-and-take between the two countries.
The presence of the Bigg Boss contestants, Begum Nawazish and Veena Malik grabbed many eyeballs and aroused a lot of interest here. Begum and Malik represented the hitherto-undisclosed face of Pakistan.
u00a0
These two reality show contestants were scandalous, controversial and colourful. We loved the way the burqa was force-lifted from the conservative face of Pakistan.
Sporadic appearances
Actors from Pakistan have appeared sporadically on Indian soil. Pakistan's Moammar Rana, who featured in Shashi Ranjan's Dobara in 2004 and Meera, who was brought into India and Bollywood by Mahesh Bhatt in Nazar in 2008, did nothing remarkable for the cause of cinema or Indo-Pak relations.
Meera did make outrageous statements about being the Aishwarya Rai of Pakistan. The Bachchans were not amused, though the Bhatts did laugh.
The two most successful actresses in India from Pakistan have been Zeba Bhaktiar, who was chosen by Raj Kapoor to play Rishi Kapoor's Pakistani love interest in Henna, and Salma Agha, whose role as the wronged Muslim wife in B R Chopra's Nikaah got her noticed.
u00a0
Salma also sang all the songs in Nikaah in her nasal Shamshad Begum voice. Soon the novelty-value of her voice faded. They came, we saw, they threw tantrums. Both Bakhtiar and Agha acquired a reputation for being unprofessional.
They were soon packed off from where they came. Now, Salma is back in Mumbai trying to promote her daughter.
Music mantra
More than actors, it is musicians from across the border, who have made a place for themselves in the Indian entertainment industry. Long before Adnan Sami there were Ghazal maestros Mehndi Hassan and Ghulam Ali, who were regular visitors to India, bringing with them a lot of goodwill from across the border.
u00a0
While the inimitable Hassan has fallen ill and is unable to travel, Ali saab continues to visit every corner of our country.
Not too long ago he had said to me, "I really enjoy working with talented musicians. I don't come to India just for concerts and performances. I have lots of friends here. People like you love me immensely in India. So nowadays, I come more often to meet my dear friends than for shows.
"I have done quite a number of charity shows in India recently. Koi bhi ho kissi ki musibat apni hi hoti hai. On a cultural level, we've been trying to bring the two countries together for a long time.
u00a0
I think relations between the two countries must improve. Peaceful relations between neighbours come above everything else. 
Veena Malik and Ashmit Patel
I'm glad to see we're slowly working towards that goal. Indian artistes are loved in Pakistan as much as Pakistani artistes in this country. Pyar-mohabbat to badhni chahiye."
Importing singers
One of the first singers from across the border to record for a Hindi film was Bangladesh-based, Runa Laila. She came down to amchi Mumbai in 1976 to sing the title song in Brij Sadanah's Ek Se Badkar Ek for composers Kalyanji-Anandji.
u00a0
To ensure that she felt welcome, the music composers even invited Lata Mangeshkar to the recording. Runa sang some lovely songs for composer Jaidev andu00a0 vanished soon afterwards.
u00a0
Next, was Pakistani folk singer Reshma. Subhash Ghai imported her for the haunting Lambi Judaai in his film, Hero. Reshma's restricted range and repertoire were flaunted for a while before she faded out.
u00a0
The present-day intense influx of Pakistani singers into Bollywood started with Maheshu00a0 Bhatt's Murder. He continues to patronise Pakistani singers and musicians and has no intention of slowing down the process despite the Rahat incident.
Says Mahesh Bhatt, "Pakistani musiciansu00a0 infuse vitality into our music industry. Murder became a blockbuster because of those two songs, which were sourced from Pakistan. Rahat, Atif Aslam, Najam, Javed Mustafa,Rafqat and Shafqat have contributed a lot to our movies.
u00a0
The Indo-Pak talent exchange has been fathered by me. I won't abandon a life-affirming cause of peace because of Rahat's issue. He needs to face the consequences, say sorry and move on."
Hostile elements
Composer Shantanu Moitra doesn't find the Pakistani contribution in Bollywood substantial. Says Moitra, "So many songs get recorded in Bollywood. Only a handful of them are sung by Pakistani singers.
u00a0
So it is a contribution but not a substantial one."Adnan Sami, who has made Mumbai his home, holds a Pakistani passport but awaits his Indian citizenship. Says the talented composer-singer, "Not for a second do I feel I don't belong here.
Ali Zafar
Yes, there have been hostile, jealous elements who have repeatedly questioned my right to be in India. But this a minor quibble. On the whole, I've been made to feel completely at home by the film industry and by Mumbai and India. Arrey yaar, main bilkul Hindustani hoon."
Pakistani pop star, Ali Zafar who has been in and out of India ever since he played the lead in the comic hit, Tere Bin Laden admitted that there were visa problems. "The visa for permanent residency is still to be obtained. I'm working on a temporary visa.
And unless I get permission for a more permanent residence, Iu00a0 cannot make comprehensive plans for a career here. But otherwise I feel completely at home here. Yashraj is so hospitable. Working in Mere Brother Ki Dulhan was like a family outing.
Imran Khan is really like a brother. Not for a minute have I felt like an outsider. I've sung three songs in the film. Although I did sing a song in my first film, Tere Bin Laden, doing full-fledged playback singing with Imran and Katrina is a different experience," says Zafar.
More stringent
Would the Rahat incident change the way Pakistani entertainers are treated in India? Not really. Only the contracts and money dealings would be more stringent. Says Ramesh Taurani of Tips, "Whenever we hire any artisteu00a0 we go by their talent and requirement of the situation and not by their nationality."
Adds Ramesh's brother Kumar Taurani, "The contribution of Pakistani artistes in film and music in India, is at the moment, minimal. It would get better if the relationshipu00a0 between the two countries improve."u00a0 So, are we looking at a renewed chapter in the Indo-Pak musical exchange programme?
Let's not forget Lata Mangeshkar has still not been able to visit Pakistan. Too dangerous, they say.u00a0 Too bad, we say.
Caughtu00a0Napping?
Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan managed to keep his money transactions away from the surveillance of Special Branch 1 while taking part in stage and television shows in Mumbai.
u00a0
Sleuths attached to the 'I Branch' of Special Branch 1, are responsible for keeping tabs on Pakistani nationals in Mumbai and should have kept taps on Khan's activities in the city. 
Singer Adnan Sami
The Special Branch 2 sleuths should have known about them and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) should have been informed about them.
u00a0
It is mandatory for every Pakistani visitor to register himself or herself at the, 'I Branch' of the Special Branch 1 and thereafter, movements are monitored by officials. Even a temporary change in address has to be reported with the 'I Branch' office in the Crime Branch.
So stringent are the rules that even hosts of Pakistani nationals have to register themselves with the Special Branch 1 office. This is done to ensure that the visitor does not get involved in clandestine activities in the country.
"Pakistani and other foreign nationals earning money or buying properties in India, should be reported immediately to Foreigner Registration Reporting Office. The permission of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) should also be obtained,"' said a senior officer.
Sources in the Special Branch 1 said that they are asked to go slow on celebrities like Khan and Adnan Sami. It is not surprising that Sami has bought huge assets in Mumbai and his financial dealings were never checked for the past 10 years, special branch sources informed.
Additional Commissioner of Police, Madhukar Gavit in-charge of Special Branch 1 told MiD DAY that his officers were not keeping tabs on Khan's activities in and around Mumbai. The DRI in the meantime are running a background check on how many times Khan flew in and out of India.
u00a0
They are also checking his bank accounts.
u00a0 DRI sleuths are questioning several hawala operators to find out if Khan was involved in any earlier dealings in the city. There are reasons to suspect he has earned more than one lakh US dollars from shows in Mumbai.
Artistes say
"If an Indian artiste was in place of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, would the government have spared him? He would be put behind bars and the law would take its course. Then why this exception? I'm sure if it were an Indian artiste caught on the wrong side of the law in Pakistan, he would have had to face dire consequences."
Singer, Abhijeet Bhattacharya
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
