Pak film festival gets official nod after bout of film diplomacy

After the intense bout of film diplomacy triggered by the screening of ‘Taj Mahal’ and ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ in Pakistan, decks have finally been cleared to hold a reciprocal Pakistan film festival in India.

The Pakistan Film Producers Association (PFPA) has received an official missive from the Government of India inviting them to Delhi on June 25. “Yes, we have received the invitation and are looking forward to the trip. We have already identified the films we will be screening,” said Jamshed Zafar, vice president, PFPA.

Mahesh Bhatt, who has been a vocal supporter of Indo-Pak collaborations in the sphere of films, said that the screening would not be limited to the capital. “Since this intitiative has been taken up directly by the Ministry of Culture, I don’t see any last minute problems. The films will be shown in Delhi as well as Mumbai.”

The matter had taken off during the recent premiere of the Indian films in Lahore when Culture and Tourism Minister Ambika Soni, who was part of the Indian delegation, invited Pakistani filmmakers to screen Punjabi films in India.

After some quick consultations, the PFPA zeroed in on five Lollywood top-grossers including Sayeed Noor’s ‘Majajan’ and Sajjad Rashid’s ‘Salakhein’.

Joining issue with Bhatt, now even Aamir Khan has said he’d love to do a movie in Pakistan “if the right offer and opportunity” came along.

“There’s a lot of talent in India and Pakistan. I think the talent in both these countries should come together and entertain the world audience,” Aamir was quoted as saying in a recent BBC interview.
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