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IANS
Naseeruddin Shah, who has previously appeared in Pakistani films like Khuda Kay Liye and Zinda Bhaag, says he will work in Pakistani films only when the relation between the two nations would get better. He feels that the Indian government should decide whether Pakistani artistes be allowed to work in India.
"It depends on the future circumstances whether I will work in Pakistan or not. I don't know what circumstances will be there (in future). When I get an offer from Pakistan in the future, then I will look at the circumstances and then decide," Shah said at a press conference at the fifth edition of Dharamshala International Film Festival.
"I have worked in two Pakistani films. In the last few years, we went to Pakistan to do our theatre shows, but this year we were not able to go," he added.
Following the September 28 Uri terror attack, which left 19 Indian soldiers dead, tensions between India and Pakistan have hit the film industry hard on both sides of the border. Many Indian political organisations and artistes have opposed Pakistani artistes working in India.
Asked whether the Indian government should think about banning Pakistani artistes from working in India, Shah said:"The government will decide what should be done in it. I feel that we should respect the government's decision. Whatever the government decides, that will be correct for me and if the government says no to Pakistani artists, then it's obvious that nobody will work with them, not even me."
Meanwhile, Shah, who has been a part of the Indian entertainment industry for over four decades, said in India, both"play writing and screenplay writing has not evolved."
"Nothing can be said about screenplays of our films. If we look at Indian films that are considered 'brilliant', 90 percent of their screenplays are lifted from somewhere. The rest of them are recycled from old films. Now we have become used to it and also like it," he said.
Shah, who directed the 2006 film Yun Hota To Kya Hota, said he doesn't have any intentions to direct a film again.
"I once tried to direct a film, but I will never do that again. It's out of my reach and a very difficult job," he said.
About today's younger lot of directors, he said:"This phase of Indian cinema is exciting, but it is in the same way as in the '70s when Shyam Benegal, Govind Nihalani, Saeed Mirza were directing and Satyajit Ray was at his peak. That was a very exciting time. We thought that the world of cinema is going to change. But nothing happened."
"So it's premature to celebrate. All these youngsters who are coming out now are making movies which are not bound by those old formulae. They are trying very hard. And not only filmmakers but theatre directors as well. Hopefully, there will be some kind of improvement. But what do you do with the audience addicted to rubbish. They cannot do without it."
