Ranbir Kapoor clarifies statement about wanting to work in Pakistani films: ‘Art is not bigger than your country’

Ranbir Kapoor drew a lot of flak on social media for his statement about wanting work in Pakistani films. Some social media users called him "unpatriotic".

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | February 25, 2023 12:16 PM IST

3 min read

Ranbir Kapoor recently attended the Red Sea International Film Festival in Jeddah. (Photo: Red Sea Film Festival/Instagram)

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Last year, Ranbir Kapoor had said he has no qualms about working with a Pakistani filmmaker. He had said this at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia. Soon after, he drew a lot of flak on social media for his statement, and some social media users called him “unpatriotic”. But Kapoor feels his statement was “misconstrued” and he does not think that it was controversial in the first place.

At the Red Sea International Film Festival, when a Pakistani filmmaker asked him if he would work with a Pakistani team, the actor replied, “Of course, sir. I think there are no boundaries for artistes, especially for arts.” Recently, during a promotional event for his upcoming film Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar in Chandigarh, Kapoor addressed the issue. He said, “I think yeh thoda mera statement misconstrue ho gaya tha. (I think my statement was misconstrued). I had gone to a film festival and there were a lot of Pakistani filmmakers asking me this question, ‘If you’ve got a good subject would you do it?’ So, I didn’t want it to be controversial in any way.”

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The actor added, “I don’t think itni bhi badi controversy hui. (It was not a big controversy) But, for me, films are films, art is art. I have worked with Fawad (Khan) in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. I have known a lot of artists from Pakistan. Rahat (Fateh Ali Khan) and Atif Aslam are such great singers who used to contribute to Hindi cinema. So, cinema is cinema. I don’t think cinema sees boundaries.”

However, Kapoor added that art is not bigger than one’s country. He concluded, “But, of course, you have to respect art but at the same time art is not bigger than your country. So, anybody who is not on good terms with your country, your first priority will always be your country.”

India imposed an informal ban on Pakistani artists in 2016 in the wake of the Uri attacks.

Also read | Ranbir Kapoor says he did not ‘fully deserve’ an award for Brahmastra: ‘Aisi bhi koi acting performance nahi thi’

Ranbir Kapoor, who was last seen in Brahmastra, is returning to the romantic comedy genre with Luv Ranjan’s Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar. The film will hit theaters on March 8, coinciding with the festival of Holi. After this, the actor will be seen in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s crime-thriller Animal.

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