POOJA and Mahesh Bhatt answer questions by the media at Napa on Tuesday.—Fahim Siddiqi / White Star

KARACHI: Never before the canopy (room) of the National Academy of Performing Arts (Napa) was crammed with so many journalists and cameras, and in so little time, as it was on Tuesday afternoon for a meet-the-press show.

The pen-pushers were there to put questions to Indian film-maker Mahesh Bhatt and his daughter Pooja, who are here to take part in the fourth Napa Theatre Festival.

As expected, the first question was about Mr Bhatt’s frequent visits to Pakistan and its effect. In response he read out the verse ‘Fasla shiddat-i-ehsaas se kam hota hai’ (distance diminishes as the feeling gets intense) and said it was in 2003 that he came to Karachi for the first time to take part in the Kara Film Festival. He had no idea that the visit would change his and a lot of other people’s perspective on Pakistan and its people. This time round, he told the questioner, it was theatre play Daddy that had made him come to Karachi. “Theatre is not my space,” he said. “But is another platform”. He urged civil societies of both countries to keep working towards bringing the two countries close. He also cited the example of Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, who recently won a Filmfare award, because the Indian public liked him.

On whether he’d seen any of the recent Pakistani films, Mr Bhatt said he hadn’t seen many of them but he was all praise for Waar, which in his opinion was a technically superior effort. He said young film-makers were abreast of the digital age. He also mentioned Shoaib Mansoor’s films Bol and Khuda Ka Liyey which created a stir in India (tahelka macha dia), and quoted them as the reason because of which Indian film buffs started viewing Pakistani films with a fresh perspective. Owing to the mushrooming of multiplexes, a new market was also emerging, he said, and termed the resurgence of Pakistani films as a “new beginning”.

Responding to the question about certain extremist forces which misbehaved with Pakistani artists in India, Mr Bhatt said though it’s true, it was an exaggerated assessment. He said political groups blew hot and cold, but it was up to us not to let them win. Not everyone was mistreated, he continued with the argument, saying Atif Aslam moved in India like a common citizen, and Rahat Fateh Ali was a household name in his country.

On why he or other Indian directors couldn’t shoot their films in Pakistan, Mr Bhatt said it’s painful to know (dukh ki baat hai) that they could visit Bangkok and London to shoot films but were unable to do so in Lahore or Karachi due to the law and order situation. If that started to happen, it would also economically benefit both countries (India and Pakistan).

On a related query, he said: “Any discussion on creating differences between human beings should be discouraged and opposed.”

Pooja Bhatt, who sat quietly for most of the time but looked ready to answer any question, said she didn’t miss the limelight because she may not be acting in films, she’s busy in the industry with other aspects of film-making: she’s producing films. Two of her films (Love Affair and Cabaret) were in the pipeline, the former being directed by her stepmother, she told journalists. When her cold war with actor Aamir Khan was brought up, Pooja instantly replied that she found his “moral posturing offensive”.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play