The team of the upcoming political thriller Phantom, that is helmed by Kabir Khan and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and Siddharth Roy Kapur, held a press conference in Mumbai on Tuesday. The leading man of the film, Saif Ali Khan, writer S Hussain Zaidi, and the makers were reacting to Hafiz Saeed, the 26/11 mastermind's demand for a ban on their film in Pakistan. Katrina Kaif is the leading lady of the film. Everyone present at the event was nothing short of amused that a wanted terrorist could get his petition admitted in a court of law of a country that had kept him under house arrest for a year-and-a-half. Zaidi said, “Agar Don ko 11 mulkon ki police dhoond rahi hai, toh Hafiz Saeed ko 50 mulkon ki police dhoond rahi hai. There is a Red Corner notice against this man.“

Kabir echoed the same and added, “Whether we get a release or not is irrelevant. But we are amused that a man, whose agenda is hate politics, is questioning our intention.“

Saif was not shocked at the outlash. He said, “These lands share a complex relationship where, on the one hand, we play sports together and on the other hand, we spill blood. When films are made on such subjects, the motive is to get a balanced view in place, which Kabir has been able to get. No one is against a particular religion or a country. I urge people to watch the film before coming to any conclusion. Keep politics out of Phantom. Even if a film is portrayed with an open mind, knowing what Pakistan is all about, they will ban it. The reality remains that there are a few enemies of the state who reside in Pakistan. Surely I can't be the only person who knows that. And, in any country, a wanted terrorist going to a court of law is ridiculous.“

Kabir added, “The problem is that Pakistan is viewed as an amorphous mass and it is necessary that we learn to distinguish between people and politics. The common man cannot be responsible or be victimized because of the politics played out by the lawmakers of the two countries.“

Both Kabir and his hero concede that the film, presented by UTV Motion Pictures and Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, which releases on August 28, is a work of fiction. Saif said, “It is necessary that an action flick of this theme has some geo-political facts suffused in the story to get the desired grounding.“

For Sajid, Pakistan is a flourishing market and this ban might mean a monetary loss. But, his take on the issue is rational. He said, “There are people who want to watch this film even in Pakistan. We would be okay if it is banned after their Censor Board watches it and raises an objection. But if a ban is slapped without even watching it, that is unreasonable.“ The Lahore High Court will hear the case today , when Pakistan's Censor Board and their state government will furnish a reply on Saeed's petition.