Pakistani actor Bushra Ansari tells Javed Akhtar, ‘You are about to die anyway’, as she reacts to his Pahalgam comments: ‘Be quiet like Naseeruddin Shah’

In an interview with agency ANI, Javed Akhtar had urged the Indian authorities to take strict action against the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack. “This has happened not just once but several times. I request that the Central Government take immediate steps. A few crackers on the border will not work. Take a solid step now. Do something so that the mad Army chief there (Pakistan), no sensible person can make a speech like he does,” he said.

 

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In an interview with the news agency PTI, Javed said that banning Pakistani artistes from India would be playing into the Pakistani Army and the terrorists’ hands. But, he admitted that now isn’t the right time to discuss these matters. “At the moment, there is hardly any warmth or friendly feeling because of what has happened in Pahalgam. So this is not the time to think about it. This could be thought in better times and hopefully after some years, some sense will prevail and they will have better attitudes towards India from the establishment of Pakistan,” he said.

In 2023, the renowned writer was in Pakistan to attend a festival organised in memory of renowned Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz. He reminded a gathering that the perpetrators of the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai are still roaming free, and that to expect Indians to feel compassion towards the Pakistani public would be unfair. “Let us not blame each other. That won’t solve issues. Jo garam hai fiza, woh kam honi chahiye. Hum toh Bambaiye log hain. Hamne dekha wahan kaise hamla hua tha. Wo log Norway se toh nahi aaye the naa Egypt se aaye the, wo log abhi bhi aapke mulk me ghum rahe hain. Toh ye shikayat agar Hindustani ke dil me ho toh aapko bura nahi manna chahiye (The atmosphere needs to cool down. I am from Bombay and all of us witnessed the attack on Bombay. The attackers weren’t from Norway, or from Egypt. They are still present in your country, so you should not be offended if an Indian complains about this),” he said.

He was praised for his comments, and returned to India a hero. “It became too big! It is embarrassing for me, and now I think I should not gloat over it. When I came here, I felt like I won a third World War. There were so many reactions from people as well as media that I just stopped taking calls. I was embarrassed that aisa maine kya teer maar diya. I had to say these things. Should we keep quiet?” he said at an ABP event.