Last week Pakistani actor and singer Ali Zafar was to perform at a festival in Pune. Just a couple of days prior to the gig he was told that the concert could not go on because of Shiv Sena’s protests vis-à-vis the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan on the border. This saddened Ali Z and when newsmen sought his opinion on the issue he preferred to keep mum.

Not just that. The Mekaal Hasan Band was in Delhi and did a successful show on Sunday. The next day they were booked to perform at another venue but the organisers asked them not to, for the same reasons. Unlike Ali Z, Mekaal H aired his views on the matter and said the situation was affecting the artistes and their fans. “Our music is about celebrating our common heritage, not politics,” he remarked.