Daily Times

Poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar said on Saturday that art should not be restricted based on where it comes from. During a media interaction, he took issue with the recent controversy sparked by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar stating that the Supreme Court will not allow Indian content to be shown on Pakistani TV channels as it “damages their culture”.

“This is all wrong, there shouldn’t be any such talks coming from here, neither from there, as well,” Javed Akhtar said.

“There are so many good serials which come from Pakistan and they should be able to telecast here but they do not and our good programmes should be able to telecast there and why should not they telecast over there and which culture is getting damaged? Neither theirs, nor our culture could get damaged,” he added.

“These are just talks and people keep on jabbering about something or the other, someone doesn’t want Ghulam Ali to come to India and people from Pakistan keep on saying something else. Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle haven’t been able to go to Pakistan. In India, people don’t want Pakistani artists, this is all wrong. As far as art and culture is concerned, whether people from Pakistan or from India, every avenue and path should be open for it,” he said.

Published in Daily Times, January 13^th 2019.