Pak artistes can work here, send pay back home

Culture and Tourism Minister Ambika Soni has good news for Pakistani artistes here 8212; the Centre has not only permitted them carry on their work but also send their remittances back home.

Culture and Tourism Minister Ambika Soni has good news for Pakistani artistes here 8212; the Centre has not only permitted them carry on their work but also send their remittances back home.

8216;8216;Cultural exchanges is an intrinsic part of renewed bilateral relations between India and Pakistan declared by the Prime Minister himself,8217;8217; Soni said today, 8216;8216;and this new initiative will only underline our commitment towards this endeavour.8217;8217;

Soni will meet the 38-member Bollywood delegation, which left this evening, in Lahore, at the public screening of Akbar Khan8217;s Taj Mahal: A Love Story. The film will be the second Indian movie to be commercially released in Pakistan after a 41-year-old ban imposed in the aftermath of the 1965 Indo-Pak War.

Two days ago, K Asif8217;s mega blockbuster of the 50s, Mughal-e-Azam was released in a dozen theatres in Pakistan. The delegation is carrying 20 prints of the film for release in Pakistan. The Bollywood delegation, led by filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt, Akbar Khan and his brothers, Feroze and Sanjay, including nephew, Fardeen, is excited about the opening up of barriers for the free flow of cinema across the borders. Khan has pledged the proceeds from the screening of his film in Pakistan towards relief work for victims of the devastating quake that hit the region last year.

8216;8216;I will impress upon our minister to work on an Indo-Pak Film Treaty for the benefit of the trade on both sides,8217;8217; Bhatt told The Indian Express. 8216;8216;A formal agreement will promote exchanges of filmmakers, encourage co-productions, give us incentives to make films in both countries. We will hold discussions with Pakistani filmmakers and their government representatives and seek their opinion. We are also hoping to meet President Pervez Musharraf to work out a formal arrangement for the release of Indian films in Pakistan.8217;8217;

Soni was equally emphatic on cutting the piracy market in Bollywood films in Pakistan. 8216;8216;So far, Indian films were bought in the grey market and that is a tremendous loss to the industry here. However, I would like to emphasise that India, which is perhaps the biggest film producer in the world, should be sensitive to the Pakistani film industry and proceed slowly and not overwhelm the industry there,8217;8217; she said.

Khan was hopeful his film8217;s release would open up a 150 million-strong film audience market in Pakistan for Bollywood. 8216;8216;I am proud my film will open up the borders for Bollywood,8217;8217; said Khan, 8216;8216;it is a positive move not just for our industry but also for the Pakistani film industry. Pakistan has a lot to offer with actors, lyricists and writers and we can help the Pakistani film industry in technical aspects,8217;8217; he said.