Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; April 29, 2016)
In an in-depth chat, filmmaker Kabir Khan shares with Bombay Times his thoughts on the protest he faced at the Karachi airport and what turned out to be the actual highlight of his Pakistan visit.
You were heckled at the Karachi airport. Hope you are doing okay.
I guess TV channels harassed me more! It was a minor incident. I was trying to talk to them but I realised it was pointless as they were a bunch of lunatics, uncivilised people who wanted to make a tamasha. The airport security was initially taken aback. They thought the demonstration was against some airline. Yes, friends and family back home were worried for my safety. But there was no physical violence.
You were slammed for making 'anti-Pak' films.
People had reservations about Phantom but there was also a lot of appreciation for Bajrangi Bhaijaan. We had a discussion about it, which is what civilised people do. A bunch of extremists do not represent Pakistan.
What kind of discussion did you have about Phantom with them?
I put my point across that Phantom was a work of fiction and the film was against anyone who incites violence and terrorist activities in the name of religion. Terrorists have no religion or nationality. They should be isolated and eliminated.
Were you detained at the airport?
No.
This was your second visit to Pakistan?
Yes. This time around, I was there for a day for a marketing conference, which was nicely conducted. They had organised a special session for me. There is a lot of warmth and goodwill. What more would a normal person want honestly? Politics will continue but only people-to-people contact can change things for better. That's what I tried to show in Bajrangi as well. They are fond of our films, songs, and our culture. The politics keeps getting in the way. I don't want this stupid incident, created by a bunch of idiots to hijack my Pak trip.
Has the incident made you apprehensive about visiting the neighbours?
I am not apprehensive about visiting Pakistan again. If I feel that, I would be succumbing to these extremists. That is what they want - to spread fear. India and Pakistan are neighbours and we have to live together. You cannot change the geo-political situation. The more interaction happens, the better it is.
What was the highlight of your Pak trip?
It was meeting the real Chand Nawab for the first time. He is such a warm person. He hugged me and said, “You changed my life.“ I had never met him. I had only seen his videos 5-6 years back. Nawazuddin Siddiqui essayed his character with aplomb in Bajrangi Bhaijaan.
You were heckled at the Karachi airport. Hope you are doing okay.
I guess TV channels harassed me more! It was a minor incident. I was trying to talk to them but I realised it was pointless as they were a bunch of lunatics, uncivilised people who wanted to make a tamasha. The airport security was initially taken aback. They thought the demonstration was against some airline. Yes, friends and family back home were worried for my safety. But there was no physical violence.
You were slammed for making 'anti-Pak' films.
People had reservations about Phantom but there was also a lot of appreciation for Bajrangi Bhaijaan. We had a discussion about it, which is what civilised people do. A bunch of extremists do not represent Pakistan.
What kind of discussion did you have about Phantom with them?
I put my point across that Phantom was a work of fiction and the film was against anyone who incites violence and terrorist activities in the name of religion. Terrorists have no religion or nationality. They should be isolated and eliminated.
Were you detained at the airport?
No.
This was your second visit to Pakistan?
Yes. This time around, I was there for a day for a marketing conference, which was nicely conducted. They had organised a special session for me. There is a lot of warmth and goodwill. What more would a normal person want honestly? Politics will continue but only people-to-people contact can change things for better. That's what I tried to show in Bajrangi as well. They are fond of our films, songs, and our culture. The politics keeps getting in the way. I don't want this stupid incident, created by a bunch of idiots to hijack my Pak trip.
Has the incident made you apprehensive about visiting the neighbours?
I am not apprehensive about visiting Pakistan again. If I feel that, I would be succumbing to these extremists. That is what they want - to spread fear. India and Pakistan are neighbours and we have to live together. You cannot change the geo-political situation. The more interaction happens, the better it is.
What was the highlight of your Pak trip?
It was meeting the real Chand Nawab for the first time. He is such a warm person. He hugged me and said, “You changed my life.“ I had never met him. I had only seen his videos 5-6 years back. Nawazuddin Siddiqui essayed his character with aplomb in Bajrangi Bhaijaan.