‘Can We Invite Pakistani Actors?’: SRK’s Raees Director Asks As Pak Cricketers Arrive In India –

Pakistani cricket team is in India. They arrived here on Wednesday for the first time in seven years and will now be participating in the upcoming ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. Soon after the Pakistani cricketers’ arrival, filmmaker Rahul Dholakia took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to ask if he can invite Pakistani actors also now for their movies.

“Now that #Pakistani cricketers are officially here, can we also invite Pakistani actors to act in our films? Or Musicians to perform?” he wrote.

For the unversed, Dholakia directed Shah Rukh Khan’s 2017 movie Raees which marked the Hindi film debut of Pakistani actress Mahira Khan. Though Mahira played the lead in the film, she was not allowed to promote the movie in India. It was due to a ban which was imposed on Pakistani artistes in India following the Uri Attack in which 18 Indian army personnel were killed.

Back then, Dholakia had argued that Mahira Khan was ‘wronged’ by not allowing her to promote Raees in India. “Somewhere I feel we have wronged her. Our people forgot that she is an artist, not the enemy! We took away her right as an actor! Unfair. Mahira Khan, you are wonderful and thank you for being a part of Raees,” he had written on social media as quoted by Indian Express.

Mahira Khan is not the only Pakistani actress who worked in an Indian film. Ali Zafar also worked in several Indian movies including Dear Zindagi and London Paris New York among others. Fawad Khan is also a popular Pakistani actor who enjoys a massive fan following in India. He impressed all with his charm and acting skills in Bollywood movies like Khoobsurat, Kapoor & Sons and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Pakistani actor Imran Abbas also shared the screen with Bipasha Basu in Creature whereas actress Saba Qamar was seen in Hindi Medium.