India and Pakistan share a very sweet and sour relationship. It’s been around seven decades that the neighbours have been fighting over Kashmir and cricket. However, our showbiz industry has always been unfazed by Indo-Pak hostility. Bollywood has always welcomed talent across the border with open arms and the Pak celebs too have maintained their dignity here.
But post the recent Uri attacks that killed 18 Indian soldiers, the Pakistani artists are facing backlash from Indians.
In fact, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has also warned Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar against the release of their upcoming movies ‘Raees’ and ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ in India.
Here we bring you the list of 7 Pakistani celebs who have got their share of fame in Bollywood but might face trouble post the MNS threat:
Fawad Khan
Lahore based Pakistani actor Fawad Afzal Khan made his Bollywood debut in 2014 with Shashanka Ghosh's ‘Khoobsurat’ opposite Sonam Kapoor. Fawad will soon be seen Karan Johar’s upcoming directorial ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’. As per the recent buzz, he has also been roped in for two big Bollywood movies with Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif respectively.
Atif Aslam
Hailing from Rawalpindi, Atif Aslam was a renowned singer in Pakistan before he ventured in Bollywood in 2006 with his song ‘Tere Bin’ from the movie ‘Bas Ek Pal’. His soulful voice was an instant hit in India and soon he witnessed a huge fandom here. Atif has also made his acting debut back in Pakistan with 2011 release ‘Bol’ which was highly appreciated there.
Mahira Khan
This Pakistani actress has become the talk of the town in India ever since she has bagged a role opposite Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan in his 2017 release ‘Raees’. Mahira has been a popular VJ in Pakistan before she made her acting debut in 2011 opposite Atif Aslam in ‘Bol’. She has also been called as the sexiest woman in Pakistan in 2015.
Ali Zafar
Another Lahore based actor, Ali Zafar is quite popular in Bollywood than he is in his country. The actor made his Bollywood debut with 2010 release ‘Tere Bin Laden’. Since then he has been a part of several Bollywood movies including ‘Mere Brother Ki Dulhan’, ‘London New York Paris’, ‘Chashme Baddoor’ etc. It was his success in Bollywood, that motivated other Pakistani actors to try their luck in B-town. Ali will soon be seen in Gauri Shinde’s ‘Dear Zindagi’ starring Ali Bhatt and Shah Rukh Khan in the lead. Interestingly, Ali Zafar is also planning to launch his younger Danyal in Bollywood.
Mawra Hocane
Mawra, made her Bollywood debut this year with ‘Sanam Teri Kasam’ opposite Harshvardhan Rane. Though the movie went flat at the box office, Mawra was praised by the critics. While she might be on the MNS radar currently, she was also targeted in Pakistan for favouring 2015 release ‘Phantom’ starring Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif. ‘Phantom’ was banned in Pakistan.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan
One can’t miss legendary singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan when we talk about renowned Pakistani artists. He hails from the family of Qawwals and classical singers and was trained by his uncle legendary singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is not just a popular singer in India but was also seen as a judge on singing based reality show ‘Chhote Ustaad 2’.
Imran Abbas
Imran Abbas has been a popular Television actor in Pakistan. It was in 2013 that he made his big screen debut ‘Anjuman’ there. Later, he got a the opportunity to feature in Bhatt camp’s 2014 release ‘Creature 3D’ opposite Bipasha Basu. Though the movie bombed at BO, Imraan became the new heartthrob in India. Abbas will be seen on the silver screen with Karan Johar’s ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ in a special appearance.
