Hamza Ali Abbasi was quick to add his comment after Imran Khan addressed the Pulwama Attack and India’s threats to Pakistan.

The actor had called for sanity to prevail and asked for dialogue, over war. 

#PakistanZindabad To the naive Indian masses: Seriously, i feel sorry for u tht ur media has made u believe that u did surgical strike be4 & can attack Pak anytime. I feel sorry tht u r convinced tht its bcz of Pak tht thr is unrest in Kashmr for decades. I hope u will grow up.

— Hamza Ali Abbasi (@iamhamzaabbasi) February 19, 2019

Following this, Hamza Ali Abbasi has given UAE-based magazine, Masala! an interview about his views on the escalating Indo-Pak tensions and how it’s affected, Pakistani artists. 

He was asked how he feels about the backlash Pakistani artists have faced from Bollywood. Hamza responded by saying that the Indian media and film industry, in the face of something like Pulwama, race to prove their patriotism and their loyalty to their country. This phenomenon, according to Abbasi, is made worse because of groups like the BJP and the RSS, who pressurize Bollywood to take bold steps against Pakistani artists. He also had this to say; ‘It’s all very tragic – I’m not in favor of banning art. But it’s fine. If they want to ban us, it’s not going to hurt us in any way. Recently Pakistani setups have also banned Bollywood productions.’

Hamza also spoke out against India’s policy of blaming Pakistan and banning artists. 

‘For us, it’s more like retaliation on their ban. If you ask me, it’s extremely stupid. Claiming to be the biggest democracy in the world has certain responsibilities. Pakistan has suffered from terrorism for so many years but we did not ban anyone.’

Abbasi was also asked about Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Atif Aslam singing for Bollywood and having their songs deleted by T-Series. 

He said that it’s their work and hopes that they were paid for their work and effort for those songs. He called them ‘very mature people’ who love their nation and will stand by it. He goes on to say that the Pakistani entertainment industry is very mature in general. ‘I am happy to tell you that Pakistanis are mature enough to not say stuff like “Go to India” or that if you sing for India, you are unpatriotic.’ He also goes on to clarify that every and any ban from Pakistan’s end have always been in response to Indian bans.

Lastly, the interview deals with the question of if art has borders/ boundaries. 

Hamza says that art has no boundaries but admits that when two countries share tense relations art tends to not be free anymore. He praises Pakistan and the Pakistani film industry for rising above bans and using poor language for India. ‘We have our issues but will not say ‘crush them, humiliate them, finish them or insult them’. I am very happy that I’m from a nation which has dealt very wisely and maturely with issues like terrorism.’

He ends his interview saying; ‘I really do believe that Indian media really needs to chill out. Indian news media is doing tremendous damage and I hope they realize it soon.’ 

Read the entire interview here.

Do you agree with Hamza Ali Abbasi’s stance?

Here’s What Pakistani Celebrities Have Said Since The Kashmir Incident

13 Times When Pakistan and India Showed The World How To Actually Solve Problems Peacefully

Cover Photo Courtesy: dawn.com and samaa.tv