Pakistani actor attacks Javed Akhtar for seeking strict action against terrorists in her country

Bushra Ansari, who won the Presidential Pride of Performance Award, asked Javed Akhtar to have some restraint, saying, ‘You have very little time left in life, and yet you’re still talking like this’.

Javed Akhtar’s remarks on Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack have led to a flurry of reactions from prominent Pakistani celebrities | Photo: Instagram

New Delhi: Days after poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar called on the Centre to take strict action against Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistani actor Bushra Ansari has attacked him for speaking up for India. She wants him to “shut up like Naseeruddin Shah”.  

Akhtar’s remarks on Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack have led to a flurry of reactions from prominent Pakistani celebrities. In a video doing rounds online, Ansari expressed frustration over Akhtar’s statements and urged him to refrain from making inflammatory comments about Pakistan.

Without naming him directly at first, Ansari criticised Akhtar for what she described as opportunistic remarks. “Some of our so-called writers just need an excuse. He didn’t even get a house on rent in Bombay — now he’ll say anything just to stay relevant,” she said.

“What are you even saying? Please, have some restraint. You have very little time left in life, and yet you’re still talking like this,” she added. 

Last week, Akhtar, speaking at the Glorious Maharashtra Festival, had asked the Indian government to take stronger action against Pakistan after the Pahalgam massacre.

“A few crackers on the border will not work. Take a solid step now… I don’t know much about politics, but I do know it is time for aar ya paar (now or never). Do something so that the mad Army chief there (Pakistan), no sensible person can make a speech like he does,” Akhtar had said.

Ansari did not shy away from suggesting that people like Akhtar should follow the example of other prominent Indian artists who have chosen not to publicly comment on such matters. “Why is there so much fear and greed that one can’t stay silent? Look at Naseeruddin Shah, he’s quiet. Others are quiet too. Everyone doesn’t have to speak on everything.”

A celebrated figure in Pakistan’s entertainment industry since the 1960s, 68-year-old Ansari has won numerous accolades, including the Presidential Pride of Performance Award. 

‘Fault lies with us’

After Akhtar advocated for a ban on Pakistani artists last week, Pakistani actress Mansha Pasha too voiced her disapproval as well.

Pasha reshared on her Instagram Stories a The Express Tribune report titled ‘Javed Akhtar: A mouthpiece with a memory hole’ that detailed Akhtar’s remarks and recalled a previous incident during his 2023 visit to Pakistan. 

“This reminds me of when he was here in Pakistan and there were cringeworthy videos of people at a party sitting literally at his feet — after he had made derogatory remarks about Pakistan at an event,” she wrote.

Referring to a private gathering hosted by singer and actor Ali Zafar in Akhtar’s honour during that visit, she added, “Honestly, the fault lies with us, because it’s clear that we need to have more self-respect.”

In his interview to news agency PTI, Akhtar argued that cultural exchange between the two nations has been “one-way traffic,” citing examples of Pakistani legends like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mehdi Hassan, and Ghulam Ali performing in India, while Indian artists such as Lata Mangeshkar were, according to him, denied similar access to audiences in Pakistan due to what he described as “systemic blockage.”

Akhtar had said the current lack of warmth between the countries is understandable, pointing to the Pahalgam attack, which Indian authorities have blamed on Pakistan. “There’s hardly any friendly feeling or warmth [right now] because of what has happened. This is not even the time to think about it,” he stated.

(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)