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Cultural diplomacy or nationalist sentiment?

The despicable attack on the Indian Army camp in Uri by Pakistani infiltrators last September and the incident’s precursor at…

Cultural diplomacy or nationalist sentiment?

(Photo: Getty Images)

The despicable attack on the Indian Army camp in Uri by Pakistani infiltrators last September and the incident’s precursor at the Air Force base at Pathankot led to a rather piquant situation in the world of art and culture in India. 

Whether you call it a storm in a teacup or an issue of great import and appeal to a proud Indian’s nationalist sentiments, every well-informed Indian chose to own up to a view, one way or the other. Notwithstanding the ease with which Pakistani artistes had always had access to an Indian visa either for sashaying a grand entry into the hallowed chamber of fame and success – our own tinsel town of Bollywood – and becoming a familiar face in every nook and cranny of the country and wherever the global Indian resided, or for the purpose of performing ghazals for the elite and discerning Indian music lovers, the recalcitrant behaviour of India’s north-western neighbour turned the tide of goodwill for visiting artistes into hostility.

Ghastly reports about torture of Indian soldiers at the border and the horrendous mutilations of their dead bodies by the Pakistanis shook the collective conscience of Indians. Meanwhile, some ultra-nationalist political outfits as well as strongly opinionated individuals who were repulsed by the thought of Pakistani artistes having the time of their lives and earning fortunes in India stood up and protested. In such circumstances, how could anyone allow Pakistani male actors to serenade Indian actresses on screen, while female Pakistani artistes reaped “oohs” and “aahs” of the Indian audience in adulation, they asked.
Moreover, they stressed that no one should allow the “soul-stirring ghazal renditions by the Pakistani ustads” lead unsuspecting Indian audiences into a stupor of indifference to the fate of the families of soldiers who had become martyrs to the cause of defending the country’s territorial integrity. Enough was enough; there was no way the cultural ambassadors of Pakistan would be allowed any further to camouflage the evil designs of their political masters. They further demanded that Pakistani artistes who were already in India should leave the country immediately, the films in which they had worked be banned, and no artiste from across the border be allowed to visit India in the future. In the event of these demands not being met, there would be trouble ahead, they warned.

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With the protestors trying to stall the release of at least one mammoth production, which had Pakistani actors on board, Bollywood filmmakers bemoaned the bleak prospects of recovery of the hundreds of crores invested in their projects. Although they reserved their inalienable right to defend their artistic freedom to work with actors of their choice regardless of their national identity, they lamented that their filmmaking prowess and familiarity with the ways of the film world, fraught with its own professional and occupational hazards, had not empowered them to study the undercurrents of geopolitics.

How were they to know at the time of launching their productions and hiring Pakistani actors, all done when relative normalcy prevailed, that there would soon be turbulence in bilateral relations, they asked. All that they could do now was to be more circumspect in hiring such actors for their future ventures. Soon, every Indian cultural aficionado jumped into the fray and bandied his opinion. Not to be left far behind, his Pakistani counterpart joined the chorus, nay, cacophony and questioned the audacity of politicking in matters of culture. Those who jumped to the defence of the Pakistani artistes included quite a few stalwarts from Bollywood.

Artistes were sensitive people whose performances in Indian films contributed to the strengthening of cultural bonds between the two countries and, as such, should not be treated as lumpen elements who had no empathy for the sensibilities of Indian soldiers’ families, they averred. Besides, hadn’t they come to our country with valid visas to work in Indian films? So, why pull the plug on them? How could the artistes, as private individuals be charged with a feigned anti-Indian stance and penalized for their government’s activities, they argued.

Emphasizing that the demand by the “self-styled guardians and champions of nationalism to boycott Pakistani artistes was both unjust and unfair”, they said “such loose cannons needed to be reined in” by the state and Central governments. Besides the hundreds of crore rupees that had gone into the making of the film, would it not be a shame if the labour of love of scores of Indian artistes, technicians, et al associated with the movie were to be lost if it were banned or blocked, argued the affected filmmakers. They also tried to reason things out with the unobliging political forces, which had a limited reach among the audience and then sought intervention by the Central and state governments. 

The state and Central governments, which did not want to get embroiled in the brouhaha, soft-pedalled the issue and were quick to assure the film fraternity of protection and full cooperation in preventing untoward incidents. With the idea of diffusing the tension, tripartite talks between movie makers, protestors and the State government were facilitated, at the end of which it was agreed that the screening of the film would be allowed with some conditions.

It was also accepted that makers of the film would make a compulsory contribution from box office collections to the army welfare fund; however the state CM clarified that this was voluntary and no such covenant was part of the deal. In the meanwhile, the targeted Pakistani actors had returned to their country. Their sound bytes were, as expected, in tune with the official line and popular local sentiment. This was construed by cynics in India as proof of the complicity of the Pakistani actors in the evil designs of their State against India and, in turn, with their own position. To make matters murkier, the Pakistani authorities banned telecast or broadcast of Indian programmes in their country.

Meanwhile, the mainstream media was not to be outdone by individual voices raised for and against the issue. Furious panel discussions, spirited op-eds and critical blogs on the burning issue became the order of the day. Social Media was rife with seemingly endless debates. Nobody liked the idea of the society being vertically split into two, with the self-styled guardians of nationalism on the one side and those who questioned them on the other, although something close on such lines was already happening.  Although the controversy over Pakistani actors has blown over, the idea of sterilising the rich talent pool of the world of culture on the basis of national identity is still alive. But aren’t actors free birds averse to being caged?

Aren’t they like river waters which know no national boundaries? Hadn’t the people of the two nations lived together in peace and amity for centuries before partition? Having partitioned the landmass, how do you partition the thought processes of the artiste fraternity of the subcontinent, intertwined by the umbilical cord of a common culture? Why not allow the audiences of the two nations to enjoy the best of both the worlds? These and countless more are the questions of those who dare defy the restrictions sought to be imposed on the flow of artistic genius.

The questions are answered by counter-questions by the nationalists. Isn’t talent available in plenty in our country? Why make out a case as if the cultural scene in India is parched for talent in the absence of concerts by musicians from across the border or that filmmaking would be rendered incomplete without the Pakistani stars coming to the rescue?  Why hanker after artistes from a recalcitrant country who need us more than we need them? Are they not morally and ethically bound to repay the Indian hospitality (read fabulous amounts of remuneration) in terms of empathy for the victims of brutalities committed by their army and raise their voice to condemn the barbarity? How could Indians be expected to turn a blind eye to the plight of the families of soldiers and civilians killed by Pakistani terrorists during peace time?
At the end of the day, it is for every Indian to individually answer the questions and independently take a call on the issue. But the call must be taken. Either we live by our nationalist sentiments or junk the mushy pop-patriotism depicted in our Bollywood tearjerkers. For Art tends to imitate Life.

The writer is a chartered accountant and former member of the boards of public sector banks and corporations.

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