Cross-border verbal volleys haven't sent Pakistani actress Meera scurrying for cover. She has decided to disregard threats from extremists who don't want her getting bold in Soni Razdan's Nazar.
"It's my body and I should have freedom to decide what I want to do with it. As long as I am not doing anything illegal or immoral, no one has the right to dictate terms to me. I know the people who are making abusive calls to me from Pakistan. My rivals who are not happy with my success have instigated them. These are the kind of people who want to sabotage the peace process between the two countries. I have now made up my mind not to pay any attention to such calls, although I am still being threatened almost everyday," says Meera.
The beauty from across the border says she understands the importance of the first Indo-Pak venture of its kind. While the director is an Indian, Nazar has been produced by London-based Sev Ali of Asian Pictures International. Producing the film along with Ali will be Razdan's husband Mahesh Bhatt, who has also written the script.
"I want to make history by working in Nazar because never before has cinema in the two countries come together in such a big way. The producer is trying his best to get the government's permission to also release the film in Pakistan," she says.
Hardliners could however put a spanner in the works. Apparently angered by stills that showed her kissing co-star Ashmit Patel, they told Meera that a fatwa (Muslim religious edict) had been issued against her and she would be killed if she returned home. Getting upclose and personal with a Hindu actor was against Islam, they reportedly said.
Rattled, the actress even asked Razdan to reshoot certain portions of the film, a request that was politely turned down. "When Meera came to us saying that she wanted a few shots removed, I advised her not to give in to such demands. In Mumbai it has been our experience that threats, no matter who makes them, are best made public. If you are secretive about them, hoping they will go away, things only get worse. So I asked Meera to go public," claims Bhatt, whose wife will make her directorial debut with Nazar.
According to the feisty filmmaker, there's no question of making any changes: "The so-called glamour elements in Nazar can't be removed. Before anything else, I have to cater to the needs of those who watch cinema in this country."
While Muslim leaders in India don't endorse the fatwa issued by their Pakistani counterparts, they too complain of a sharp decline in values.
"I see Hindi films losing touch with our cultural heritage and traditions. For filmmakers today it's just business and for that they are even willing to sacrifice the basic tenets of our society. I am not in favour of anybody making threats. But I will pray that better sense prevails in Bollywood. Money can't be allowed to become more important than everything else," insists Mufti Mukarram, head of Fatehpuri Masjid in Delhi.
Posted on 2/23/2005 6:24:54 PM
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