NEW DELHI, Jan 31: Pakistan and India were on the brink of war last year, but a dose of Bollywood could mend fences between the two countries, according to India’s new junior foreign minister.

Vinod Khanna, who was inducted as junior minister for tourism in Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s cabinet in July, was suddenly promoted to the high-profile foreign ministry after a reshuffle earlier this week.

The politician was a top action hero in the 1970s in India’s film industry, known as Bollywood. He caused a stir in the foreign ministry on his first day in office on Thursday, with many staff lining the corridors for a glimpse of him.

He told reporters that he hoped to exploit his “fan-following” in Pakistan to bring about warmer ties.

“Our efforts to improve relations with Pakistan will continue,” Mr Khanna was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.

“I will be happy to contribute in this direction... probably, I will make use of my big fan following in Pakistan,” he added.

“Bollywood has a role to play in bringing the two countries together.”

The actor was born in Peshawar in Oct 1946.

Mr Khanna said it was “strange” that India allowed Pakistani artists to perform here, but that Islamabad did not reciprocate.

He said he had visited Pakistan before and would do so again if he got the chance.

Since Prime Minister Vajpayee went on a peace mission to Pakistan by bus in February 1999, Khanna said, it was time for President Pervez Musharraf to reciprocate by travelling “to India in a bus and shake hands with our prime minister”.

He dismissed Pakistani statements that India was not interested in improving ties with Pakistan and was deliberately indulging in provocative acts to negate all chances of resumption of dialogue.

India had undertaken peace initiatives a number of times, Khanna said, adding: “There seems to be a problem on the other side.”—AFP