Why not a corridor through cinema for India and Pakistan, asks Onir

Mumbai: National Award-winning filmmaker Onir hopes the exchange of cinema talent between India and Pakistan resumes soon.

Onir on Wednesday tweeted a link of an interview of Pakistani actor Ali Zafar. The actor says, "Just like India has a lot to give to Pakistan, Pakistan also has a lot to give to India".

This led Onir to tweet: "Hope that the exchange of artistes restarts soon... It is so unfair that the dialogue and exchange happens in other spaces. If a Kartarpur can happen why not a corridor through cinema too."

The filmmaker's tweet is in reference to how in 2016, Indian film associations placed an unofficial 'ban' on Pakistani talent from working in the country.

In the same year, Pakistani film exhibitors and cinema owners had imposed a ban on the screening of Indian films in the country in the wake of heightened tensions with India over the September 18, 2016 Uri attack that left 19 Indian soldiers dead.

The attack had led India's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena to give an ultimatum to Pakistani artistes to leave India. Zindagi channel withdrew telecast of Pakistani shows, and even the Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association (IMPPA) passed a resolution to ban Pakistani artistes from working in India.

In the latest development, Pakistan's Chief Justice Saqib Nisar last week said the country's Supreme Court will not allow Indian content to be shown on Pakistani TV channels as it "damages our culture".