We support ban on Pakistani actors: IMPPA

New Delhi: Turns out, Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association (IMPPA) is not retracting its stand on the issue of Pakistani actors working in India, anytime soon.

News agency ANI quoted the President of IMPPA, TP Aggarwal saying that the organisation had opposed the paying of Rs 5 crore to Pakistani artist, Fawad Khan, for a Karan Johar movie. He further claimed that the IMPPA is against the view of allowing Pakistani artists in Hindi film industry.

For the unversed, the IMPPA had passed a resolution to ban actors of Pakistani descent from the Indian film industry in the wake of Uri attack in September 2017.

Several films, including 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil', received a lot of criticism from political parties post the attacks along the Line of Control (LoC) in 2016, which saw several Indian jawans dead.

Earlier today, singer-turned-politician Babul Supriyo and Bollywood's producers' council called for a temporary ban on Pakistani artists for working in the Hindi film industry.

Supriyo, a singer-turned-politician, had said Rahat Fateh Ali Khan's voice in the song "Ishtehar" from "Welcome To New York" must be removed and dubbed by someone else as he was not able to comprehend the need or desire to cross the border for entertainment content at a time when tensions on the India-Pakistan border had escalated.

In addition, DNA quoted Suresh Amin, CEO of the Indian Film and Television Producer Council (IFTPC) saying that the council is seeking to impose a 2-year ban on the Pakistani artistes working in Hindi film. 

A few days back, reports about Arijit Singh losing out a song to Rahat Fateh Ali Khan in 'Welcome To New York' started doing the rounds. Followed by an objection raised by singer-turned-politician Babul Supriyo over preference being given to a Pakistani singer over Indian artist.

Reportedly, 'Welcome to New York' producer Vashu Bhagnani was also present at the press conference along with Babul. The report mentions that IFTPC CEO stated that said the producers' council will pass a resolution and notify all Bollywood producers to stop working with Pakistani artists for the next two years.

(With ANI inputs)