Even as Pakistan’s ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali has said that he won’t return to India until things get better between the two countries, Mahesh Bhatt and actor Imran Zahid are going ahead with their plans to stage a play on Indo-Pak amity and have even invited Ghulam saab to contribute a song to it.
Entitled Milne Do, the play addresses the thorny issue of friendship between the two countries. Says Imran Zahid, “For me, hope of peace is not just a few pictures and articles in newspapers but respecting, communicating with each other the way we are. I think that represents how educated we are, how liberal we are, how we want to work together and create peace and harmony.”
After Ghulam Ali stated that he wouldn’t be performing in India, Imran rang him up to ask him to contribute a song to the play. “Ghulam Ali saab happily agreed,” Imran said. “Music knows no boundaries. Ghulam Ali is as popular in India as Lataji is in Pakistan.”
Imran feels there is no need for hostility between the people of the two countries. “We Indians were treated so well in Pakistan when we went to staged our plays in Karachi and Lahore. It is sad that Mumbai is inhospitable to Pakistani artistes.”
About his mentor, Mahesh Bhatt, Imran added, “Bhatt saab has been one of the most vocal supporters of the cultural exchange between India and Pakistan.”
