Pakistani actor Fawad Khan has drawn strong criticism for his decision to enter Bollywood.
According to Indian media, Fawad’s fans from Pakistan have taken to social media sites to say that he has hurt the sentiments of his country by working in a Bollywood film.
Trailer out: Sonam, Fawad indulge in royal romance
However, the actor is unperturbed and said art is something that travels across all borders.
"The people you are talking about are very few. There will be people who will criticise. They are entitled to their opinion.
Art is something that travels across all borders. Art knows no culture and creed. As an actor, I would like to explore myself. I do feel bad, but I choose to ignore criticism. I think to pay attention to it is unnecessary,” Fawad told reporters in India at the trailer launch of Khoobsurat.
Although Bollywood was a new environment for him, Fawad said he found everyone warm and welcoming in the industry and that it was an honour to collaborate with the Kapoors for his Bollywood debut .
"I think it's a very big honour for me to work with the family. When I met these people, I found them very interesting. Most of all, the way I was treated and welcomed was very kind and warm."
"So all in all, this has been a very interesting episode in my life. I had a lot of fun. There was a lot of love and warmth."
Fawad also praised Sonam for being "a very accommodating, very warm, and very welcoming person".
Fawad plays the role of a royal prince in ‘Khoobsurat’, a modern-day adaptation of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's 1980 hit film starring Rekha, Ashok Kumar and Rakesh Roshan in lead roles.
“I saw the original film as part of my homework. It is a timeless classic but our film is different. Rakesh Roshan played the role of a doctor and I play a Rajput prince, so it’s different in a way,” Fawad said.
The film, produced by Sonam’s sister Rhea and Disney India, is set to release on September 19.
