Bollywood, Pakistan, and Love

Arts & Culture Culture, Arts, Literature & Linguistics
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this might be posted somewhere already.
How sweet…

Bollywood sheds new light on Pakistan

MUMBAI, India (CNN) – If you are looking to gauge the state of India-Pakistan relations, just check out Bollywood.

A blockbuster called “Hero” – the most expensive Hindi film ever made – is the story of an Indian spy who foils a Pakistani plot to give terrorists a nuclear bomb.

“Hero” was made when India and Pakistan were almost on the verge of war.

For years, the world’s largest film industry has churned out a string of anti-Pakistan movies.

These films reflect the once bitter state of relations between the nuclear neighbors.

But, as both sides try to revive their relationship, Bollywood is now trying to make a new genre of films – ones that portray Pakistan in a better light.

Now the nuclear neighbors are trying to mend fences, and moviegoers say they too are ready for a softer, subtler cinematic experience.

Realizing a Pakistan-bashing fatigue may be setting in, prominent Indian director Mahesh Bhatt recently welcomed a Pakistani peace delegation to the Indian version of Los Angeles.

Bhatt says he is now playing a movie that portrays Pakistanis in a caring fashion because he believes his audience is ready for it.

“They want a new mood to blow. I think peace will come. Pease will come through Bollywood,” Bhatt said.

There’s another reason – a commercial one – for Bollywood’s recent interest in Pakistan.

The industry here is going through one of its worst slumps ever. And for several Indian moviemakers, 140 million Pakistanis, many of whom have traditionally enjoyed Indian cinema, represent a unique selling opportunity.’

Some studies show Indian movies could rake in $35 million a year from Pakistan.

But peace, not profit, is what a Pakistani official believes the world’s largest movie industry should focus on.

“They can really change the mentality of the people of the subcontinent towards each other,” Pakistani senator G G Jamal said.

"They can change the mentality from hatred to love and friendship.‘’

Love and friendship through cinema may take years to foster, but already some Indian filmmakers say they want to shoot their movies in Pakistan, hire their stars and embrace their viewers in what is clearly a break from Bollywood’s recent past.

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yes pakistani audiences are paying for the rapes, tortures, and death of kashmiris in kashmir. their money through this medium is of great importance to india. for me our people have gained physical independence only. mentally they are still slaves of indian, like they were 55+ years ago.

i know no one will understand that their quest for indian entertainment is helping the indian government. but they won't kbow because people dieing in kashmir are not their relatives. women and girls being raped in kashmir are not their mothers, sisters and daughter. men being killed are not their fathers, brothers and husbands.

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Re: Bollywood, Pakistan, and Love

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by underthedome: *
Love and friendship through cinema may take years to foster, but already some Indian filmmakers say they want to shoot their movies in Pakistan, hire their stars and embrace their viewers in what is clearly a break from Bollywood's recent past.

[/QUOTE]

Good idea. As a display of love and friendship, I would like to hire Langoty Paradigm and make a movie called "khujli #1".

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I'm not against Pakistanis watching Indian movies, dramas or channels but it's the obession for Indian entertainment among Pakistanis that worries me. Already the illegal Indian channels have found a huge audience in Pakistan and Pakistani companies have started advertising on Indian channels and paying 1 lak or even more for one ad to these channels while Pakistani channels lose these ad companies and their market day by day and then Pakistanis complain about quality. Almost one crore cable connection in Pak with 30 rupees per connection to indian channels (star plus, zee etc) thats 30 caror monthly in each Indian channel's pockets. It's a succesful market for Indian channels.

Our people must end this obsession for they're leading the whole nation on the path of destruction by annihilating their own media with their own hands.

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It all sounds so naive and laughable. Love India!!! Yeah why not, I mean I personally owe them so much for the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiris. Pathetic is what I have in my mind for all this...loving India because they have finally decided to make movies in Pakistan...so what if they kill a dozen or more Kashmiris on daily basis...not a huge price. disgusted

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You may have your opinion about Indian movies but don' forget why people pay to watch the Indian channels - they like it! Isn't that what entertainment is all about?

Secondly, why is it ok for the govt of Pakistan to ask for / support redemption of cricket ties but it is not ok to watch Indian movies?

Thirdly, I take strong exception to statements made by a few here about Kashmir - what has Kashmir to do with this topic?

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by IceLander007: *

Thirdly, I take strong exception to statements made by a few here about Kashmir - what has Kashmir to do with this topic?
[/QUOTE]

Maybe it has got nothing to do with that for you, but it has for me. I mean it is only a matter of common sense, how can you expect relationships between India and Pakistan to be improved by productions of movies or the influence of media and whatever it was; when the Kashmir issue keeps rotting there like and open wound. When every missile India tests is first deployed on Pakistan's border, when the border forces regularly keep exchanging fires. I don't know about others, but it is impossible for me to even entertain such a wild idea. How can you love your enemy?

Waisay bhi...hindi movies itni fazool aur bakwas hoti hain kay jo shakhs un say mutassir ho uski zehni halat qaabl-e-rehm hai.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by IceLander007: *
You may have your opinion about Indian movies but don' forget why people pay to watch the Indian channels - they like it! Isn't that what entertainment is all about?

Secondly, why is it ok for the govt of Pakistan to ask for / support redemption of cricket ties but it is not ok to watch Indian movies?

Thirdly, I take strong exception to statements made by a few here about Kashmir - what has Kashmir to do with this topic?
[/QUOTE]

"why people pay to watch the Indian channels - they like it! Isn't that what entertainment is all about?"

Over the years, the Indians have resorted to sex and nudity to sell their movies. They are trying to outdo Hollywood in 'showing' as much as possible. That is the*entertainment* they mean.

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by EntityParadigm: *
yes pakistani audiences are paying for the rapes, tortures, and death of kashmiris in kashmir. their money through this medium is of great importance to india. for me our people have gained physical independence only. mentally they are still slaves of indian, like they were 55+ years ago.

i know no one will understand that their quest for indian entertainment is helping the indian government. but they won't kbow because people dieing in kashmir are not their relatives. women and girls being raped in kashmir are not their mothers, sisters and daughter. men being killed are not their fathers, brothers and husbands.
[/QUOTE]

firstly they were not slaves 55 years back to indians, british colonised india at the time, before that muslims were ruling the India. Muslims always tend to influence other faiths and cultures by their richness in culture and relegion.

secondly no one will like indian films until they are bot biased.

I stopped watching indian films after Pukar, cause for me that ws too much to take. and many people walked out of the cinema hall.

apart from that indian movies are good to watch fantacy like stories. they have influenced Pakistani youth. and gap left by in effcient pakistan film industry automatically filled by indian films and media.

we shouldnt bring Kashmir in every topic. its not directly linked to this issue.
do american watch russian films???
no they dont even if they dubed in english. but russian do watch american mvies on the other hand.

so if Pakistani films get better, they will automatically create their own space.

until then we like it or not, youth tend to watch it. its natural.

they watch indian films but do they like india??? absolutely not.

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Going beyond the 'should they, shouldn't they' arguments over whether Pakistanis should watch Indian films - which in my view is a pretty redundant point anyway - could one of the reasons for the popularity of Indian films be that the language is universal across that part of the world?

Hindi films sound remarkably like urdu and it's very easy to follow and even in Afghanistan where most locals speak urdu, they can understand very easily. I doubt there's much interest in say Bengali movies for the simple reason most people wouldn't be able to understand them.