As Parineeti Chopra expresses desire to work with the actor, Instep looks back at his colossal demand that goes beyond borders.
Fawad Khan hasn’t done a film in a while but Maula Jatt that reunites him with his Humsafar co-star Mahira Khan finally has a release date: Eid-ul- Fitr 2019. The film will also feature Hamza Ali Abbasi and Humaima Malik with Bilal Lashari helming the entire project.
Until that film releases, Fawad Khan has emerged as a program judge on the rebooted Pepsi Battle of the Bands, with two seasons and two performances under his belt. He also had a cameo in JPNA2.
That said, while Syed Noor - a longtime Lollywood filmmaker thinks that Khan lacks star-power as he told Dawn Images in an extensive interview - things across the border are much different.
The most recent news taking over the interwebs is that Parineeti Chopra has expressed a desire to work with the actor. “I wish I could work with Fawad. He would be such a great hero in our industry. He is so loved here.”
Chopra is not the only one to express this desire. Earlier this year, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj - who has visited Pakistan on more than one occasion - and spoke during a panel discussion at the Pakistan International Film Festival this year, also echoed similar views about how the ban on Pakistani artists working in India is ultimately futile, naming Fawad Khan as an example.
“If bias against Pakistani actors had been there, the masses wouldn’t have gone to watch their films. So, there is nothing against them in the heart of masses. Whatever else is there, it is politically motivated otherwise how would have Fawad become a superstar in India?” he had said then.
Another filmmaker from India, Shonali Bose also said earlier this year about how she wanted to work with Fawad if not for the ban. “Cinema should be free… For instance, Pakistani actors are not allowed to work in Indian films, and this decision is supported by Indian Motion Pictures Producers’ Association. What if I want to make a film with Fawad Khan?” she questioned. When asked if those views could be seen as anti-national, she responded during a panel discussion: “That is the problem with our country nowadays…I speak of friendship between two countries. I want to make a film with Fawad Khan and nobody will allow me to make the film; producers will not back the film because of the risk and fear that has been created around it.”
In other words, Fawad Khan’s growing celebrity is a phenomenon of its own.
