No matter how good things are (and they rarely are good) visa woes continue to haunt celebrities working on the other side of the border. It was only last year that Imran Abbas was unable to attend the promotions and release of his film Jaanisaar and it seems Mawra Hocane has had to suffer the same fate. According to India.com, the actress who was living in India for quite a while to complete shooting for her latest film Sanam Teri Kasam and attend all promotional events, was refused an extension to stay behind for the release of her debut Bollywood venture.
Reports suggest that Mawra’s visa expired a day before the release and she had applied for an extension. However, the 23-year-old actress was denied the extension for unknown reasons and hence, had to return to Pakistan. Perhaps this was the reason why Mawra wasn’t seen at the Indian premiere of the film and was spotted attending premiere nights across Karachi and Lahore, instead. The rumour mill also suggests that it was a reaction to Anupam Kher’s visa controversy. The veteran actor, who was supposed to attend the Karachi Literature Festival last weekend, revealed on Twitter that he was denied entry into Pakistan. However, the High Commission later refuted all such claims by the actor saying the he had never even applied. The entire situation sparked a lot of debate on social media and it appears that Mawra was a victim of vendetta. There is no word from the actress herself on the issue, though.
Sanam Teri Kasam released on February 5 to below average response from the Indian audience and has been dubbed as a box office disaster based on opening weekend’s collections. In comparison, the film has had a far better run on the Pakistani box office. Mawra’s performance, on the other hand, has been appreciated by fans and critics alike.