Babul Supriyo wins a battle against Pakistani artists, but Bollywood isn’t losing the war

Babul Supriyo | Babul Supriyo's Facebook page

Minister and singer Babul Supriyo has demanded a ban on all Pakistani artists in Bollywood, but the threat might not be taken too seriously.

Singer and BJP Minister Babul Supriyo created trouble for Bollywood all over again, angry over a song ‘Ishtehaar’ sung by Pakistani singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan for a film titled Welcome to New York. Even though Supriyo woke up to the Pakistani artist’s ‘invasion’ almost two weeks after the song had been released and topped the charts, he still wanted immediate action. His demand was for a ban on all Pakistani artists in Bollywood.

Trying to use the same old ‘our martyrs are dying at the borders and we are still giving work to Pakistani artists’ reasoning, Supriyo demanded swift action from the producer Vashu Bhagnani. He demanded the producer either remove the song, or replace Khan’s voice with an Indian’s. The director of the film, Chakri Toleti, who is making his Bollywood debut, was surprised at how such issues rarely figure in the Southern film industry where he has worked earlier. Moreover, he felt the ban was unfair.

While the director didn’t name anyone, he was clearly referring to Salman Khan’s Tiger Zinda Hai, which had a song called ‘Dil Diyan Gallan‘ sung by popular singer Atif Aslam, who is also from across the border. Toleti wanted to know why the outrage was selective. Why were some producers being let off, and others left facing the wrath of this brigade?

Even Ajay Devgn’s Baadshaho had a beautiful number ‘Mere Rashke Qamar‘ by the legendary Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan that has been viewed over 13.5 crore times on YouTube without facing any threat or outrage. After all ceasefire violations have hardly stopped along the Line of Control. In fact, the number has only increased since September last year when the song from the Baadshaho soundtrack was released.  

However, a worried producer Vashu Bhagnani could not afford to have the shadow of a ban days away from the release of his film and rushed to Delhi to meet the Minister. He  announced, at a hurriedly called press conference, that they would not use Pakistani artists till relations between the two countries improve. Bhagnani apologised for hurting national sentiments, and pledged his support and respect for the jawans dying at the borders. The last time this was heard was in the ‘compromise’ video by Karan Johar in 2016 ahead of the release of his film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which faced the wrath of this hate brigade for featuring a Pakistani actor.

While these demands for a ban on Pakistani artists, and the subsequent capitulation by Bollywood, has almost become routine, triggered either by ceasefire violations or surgical strikes, the response this time from the other side was unexpected. Not from the Pakistani establishment, but the artist in question himself. Rahat in a dignified response on social media told Supriyo that music knows no boundaries.

Supriyo, who was clearly on the back foot, responded with an open letter to Rahat asking him to put pressure on the Pakistani government to stop supporting terror. He also called the effort to ease tensions between the two countries through art and music a ‘failed doctrine’.

Supriyo seems to be convinced that his letter will work for a domestic constituency that revels in its leaders baying for Pakistani blood. But beyond politics, noisy prime time debates and Twitter timelines, one wonders if the anti-Pakistani vitriol being extended to the creative arts and artists is actually working.

Despite the bans, Bollywood has continued to use Pakistani artists. Bhagnani might have apologised, but he has neither pulled the song off, nor changed Rahat’s voice. Devgn’s upcoming film Raid, and Sudhir Mishra’s Daas Dev both feature songs by Pakistani artists and both haven’t even hinted at looking for replacements.

Even in sports, India-Pakistan hockey ties are being revived, and there are enough indications that cricket might be next. After all, who wouldn’t want to watch an edge-of-the-seat India versus Pakistan in Eden Gardens. One can wager that even Supriyo would not want to miss that one.

One wishes Supriyo would fight as hard for army veterans’ pension woes or better working conditions for our jawans.        

Having worked in Bollywood, I am sure Supriyo remembers the beautiful lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar for the film Refugee:

‘Panchi, nadiya, pawan ke jhonke, koyee sarhad na isse roke…

Sarhad insano kay liye hain, socho tumne aur maine kya paya insaan ho kay’

Loosely translated it means birds, rivers and winds don’t understand borders. Borders are man-made and little is achieved by creating these boundaries. Not surprisingly, Supriyo’s rhetoric has never had the same impact.