Political tensions, and a ban on Pakistani artists, films, cricketers, and all things Pakistani, haven’t stopped actress Sajal Aly from expressing her desire to work in India/Bollywood again.
The Kuch Ankahi star is a prominent name in Pakistan, and gathered serious praise from across the border in her first Hindi film, Mom in 2017. However, relationships between Pakistan and India have only deteriorated since 2017, and six years down the line we are far far away from any integrations between the two countries.
What Did Sajal Aly Say?
In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, Sajal Aly has opened up on her desire to work in India again. The actress believed that politics shouldn’t come in between art and the artist.
“I would love to work in India again. But I don’t know when. Let’s see what the future has in store for me? I have been talking about this for years and years. I don’t think politics should come between art and the artist. And I hope yeh deewar jo India aur Pakistan ke beech mein hai khatam ho,” Ali told the news outlet.
Sajal also emphasized on her relationship with actress Sridevi and their on-screen pairing. “I was very close to Sridevi ji. She left us very soon, unfortunately. I have never really talked about her and my relationship. But I have to say that it is really unfortunate that we as artists get stuck in the tensions between both the countries. Humara kaam suffer karta hai. When I worked in Bollywood, I got a lot of love and respect, which is close to my heart till date,” said the actor.
Is Sajal Aly Trying Too Hard?
Be it brooding heroes or dashing actresses, our stars have bossed Bollywood at different times in history. While Sajal played a pivotal role in Mom alongside Sridevi, we think she may be trying too hard for a gig in Bollywood now.
The doors are long shut, and Pakistani stars have had to bear the brunt of India’s hypocrisy. Recently Anant Ambani, son of Mukesh Ambani, celebrated his birthday in Dubai so he could groove to the beats of Pakistani singers Atif Aslam and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan.
When Will the Restrictions End?
There are no expectations on when restrictions on Pakistani actors and cricketers will end in India. Director Karan Johar recently went all the way to Dubai to watch Maula Jatt in cinema, and was all praises for the quality content. He also recently liked an Instagram picture of actor Wahaj Ali, hinting of a cross-border project for the latter.
While we as movie aficionados can root for harmony between Pakistani and India artists, we understand there are greater forces in play here. Forces far too great for the Sajal Aly’s or Karan Johar’s of Pakistan and India to make a difference.
