Writer and lyricist Javed Akhtar’s recent comments on the 11/26 attacks, made to a gathering in Pakistan, have angered certain Pakistani celebrities. At an event honoring Urdu poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Akhtar reminded the crowd that the perpetrators of the attacks are still at large and that it would be unfair to expect Indian to ignore this.
Responding to his comments, actress Resham, who has appeared in films such as Jeeva and Ghunghat, wrote on Instagram that she puts her country above all else and expressed regret posting a picture with Akhtar from a party during his visit to have. She wrote in Urdu: ‘My country is dearer to me than anything else. I had absolutely no knowledge of what Javed Akhtar Sahab said about my country in the Faiz Festival session. I condemn his words. According to our special treatment habits, we regard guests as God’s mercy, but Pakistan is more valuable to us than our hearts and lives.” In a previous post, she shared with Akhtar pictures from a party hosted by Ali Zafar, writing that she was “lucky.” had to have been there.
At the Faiz festival, a person asked Akhtar to take messages of peace to India. “You have visited Pakistan many times… When you come back, do you tell your people that these are good people, they not only bomb us but also greet us with garlands and love?” they asked him. Akhtar replied, according to The Print: “Let’s not blame each other. That won’t solve any problems. Jo garam hai fiza, woh came honi chahiye. Hum toh Bambaiye log hain. Hamne dekha wahan kaise hamla hua tha. Wo log Norway se toh nahi aaye the naa Egypt se aaye the, wo log abhi bhi aapke mulk me ghum rahe hain. Toh ye shikayat agar Hindustani ke dil me ho toh aapko bura nahi manna chahiye (The atmosphere needs to cool down. I am from Bombay and we all witnessed the attack on Bombay. The attackers were not from Norway or from Egypt. You in your country still present, so don’t be offended if an Indian complains about it).
While his words were appreciated domestically, it turns out some Pakistani celebrities didn’t quite take what he said. In a series of Instagram stories, actor Saboor Aly wrote: “Koi apne ghar mein aa kar beizzat kar ke ja raha hai upse khushi se shor machaya ja raha hai aur phir qadmoun mein baitha ja raha hae (Somebody insulted your country alone earth , and you celebrate him, honor him with such joy, sits at his feet). A pity!”
She was probably responding to Akhtar’s statement on how his comments were received by Pakistani audiences. He had told NDTV: “They all clapped. You have agreed to me. There are many people who admire India and want to have a relationship with us.”
“Isko visa kis ne dia (Who gave him a visa)?” asked actor Shaan Shahid. Actor-VJ Anoushey Ashraf tweeted, “It’s important to show respect to a guest. But never at the expense of your self-respect. The way some hung admiringly on Javed Akhtar sb’s leg was a bit more willing to please. Perhaps he would be weary of his words if we showed him the dignity that we have (or don’t have?).” In November 2008, a series of orchestrated attacks were carried out in several locations in Mumbai, killing 175 people and injuring hundreds became.
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