Pakistani programmes and artists facing extralegal censorship
A new form of ultranationalism and jingoism seems to have gripped our country post Pathankot and Uri attacks. A clamour is being made for ending all relations with Pakistan- in economic as well as artistic sphere. Movies featuring Pakistani actors are being boycotted and their screening is being blocked as the recent case of Karan Johar's movie Ae dil hai mushkil featuring Fawad Khan depicts.
Two varied views are being forwarded on this issue.
1st view: Art cannot be divorced of society and politics. Film actors are the face of our society and are seen as role models by millions of avid fans. Pakistani actors despite being aware of their country's wrong tactics of support for debilitating attacks on India were not even ready to publicly condemn terrorism if not their country's tactics. Previously, Pakistani artists condemned terror attacks in Peshawar and Paris. Their silence on terror hurting India thus looks stark. This, despite India giving them a stage to showcase their talent and gain popularity, is not acceptable. They have lost credibility among the Indian fans and Indians have all right to decide whether they would want to be entertained by such artists or not.
2nd view: There has been a long history of cinema falling prey to mobocracy aka extraconstitutional or extralegal censorship. Unofficial threats against films have been springing up at the slightest provocation despite getting cleared by the censors like Vishvaroopam, Parzaniya etc. The fringe groups that call for such censorship seem to operate akin to the extortion by roadside goondas and are driven majorly for political reasons.
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, a hindu fringe group, has capitalised on the Uri attack and India's "surgical strikes" to manufacture a new narrative of patriotism, confined only to cinema, which implies eliminating everything Pakistan. Their act is leading not only to the current cultural exchange being jeopardised, but it is also an attempt to sidestep history. This, when we are technically not at war with Pakistan, when the government hasn't really stopped any exchanges with it.
Conclusion: We should use our soft power and moral high ground to convince liberal group in Pakistan to our side. Mobocracy of MNS kind will be regressive but a constant nudge for artists and intelligentsia to open up in support of Indian cause is the need of the hour.