LAHORE: Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah on Tuesday focused on the sameness of India and Pakistan rather than the dissimilarities and expressed his desire to live and travel here for longer periods.

“There are more similarities than the differences between Pakistan and India. I wish to travel all over Pakistan. If I ever get such an opportunity, I will remain in Pakistan for a year. But we are a victim of political gimmicks,” the iconic artiste from India who is in Lahore these days said this at Faiz Ghar, Model Town, while addressing a select audience.

Mr Shah, along with his theatre team, Motley, was invited to Faiz Ghar by Faiz Foundation Trust for a ceremony to accord the group patronage of the Trust.

Answering questions by audience, Shah expressed his views on the difference between theatre and film and the way he felt about Faiz. He also mentioned delicious food of Lahore and hospitality of Lahorites.

To a query that whether he found theatre difficult as compared to other performing arts, Shah said had this question been asked about film he would have listed a lot of difficulties but as far as theatre was concerned he never found it difficult, rather it had always been a source of enjoyment and pleasure to him.

He said doing theatre was such a joy that could not be found in films. The kind of enthusiasm and team spirit one enjoyed doing theatre could not be experienced while doing a film, he added.

What he felt about Lahore and Faiz Sahib was another question to which he said he always felt overjoyed visiting Lahore. “It is a matter of great pride and honour for me if in any respect my name gets associated with a poet like Faiz Ahmed Faiz,” said Mr Shah.

He said Lahore’s traditional dishes, sweets, weather, besides affection and love of its people, were close to his heart.

Earlier, the veteran actor recited Faiz’s poetry including his poems ‘Aaye Haath Uthain Hum Bhi’ and ‘Aaj Kay Naam Aur Aaj Kay Gham Kay Naam’.

FFT Chairperson Saleema Hashmi on the occasion said Faiz in his writings well elaborated the role and responsibilities of an artiste. She read some of the letters written by Faiz to his wife Alys and shared memories of his father.

Dr Arifa Syeda said she was happy to know that this year Mr Shah was going to stage stories of Munshi Prem Chand because these stories “are the stories of life”. She hoped when next year Shah would bring his theatre to Pakistan, he would also consider stories by Pakistani writers for stage.

Moneeza Hashmi said hopefully Shah Sahib would come to Lahore next year too for stage performances and dedicate a night for reciting poetry of Ghalib, Iqbal and Faiz.