Showing posts with label Karachi Literary Festival. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Karachi Literary Festival. Show all posts
Nandita Das opts out of Karachi Literary Festival
8:06 AM
Subhash K Jha (DNA; February 5, 2016)
After Anupam Kher, it’s Nandita Das who has opted out of the controversial Karachi Literary Festival. Says Nandita, “I have been unwell since Wednesday morning and unfortunately I am unable to go Karachi. I felt terrible letting down the organisers, but it’s beyond my control. I had offered to do the sessions via Skype to make sure one can participate and the intent with which the Lit Fest is organised, is upheld.”
Nandita has been embroiled in a verbal slug-fest of sorts with her colleague Anupam Kher over the supposed denial of a visa by the Pakistan government for his visit to the literary festival. Nandita explains her stance saying, “As a firm believer of people-to-people initiatives, I want to be very clear that anybody’s visa being denied is detrimental to the process, especially of artistes. At the time I made my comments, it was not clear if the visa was denied or Mr. Kher had not send his documents in the first place.”
Nandita, who did a Pakistani film Ramchand Pakistani on cross-border amity, says, “For the moment, let us assume that the Pakistan bureaucracy came in the way of this cultural event. As an artiste, I would separate this bureaucratic road-block from genuine efforts to strengthen friendship.”
Reacting to Anupam’s tirade against those artistes who referred to him as the Indian government’s champion, Nandita says, “ I was disappointed to hear what Anupam Kher had to say on television. If we dismiss those we disagree with as anti-nationals, we risk diminishing the possibility of dialogue and it invites shrill abuses.”
She won’t get rattled by efforts to portray her as not being nationalistic enough for not protesting when Anupam was denied entry into Pakistan. “I don’t feel the need to prove my nationality in public debates. My work, my life is reflective of my cultural and national identity and we have to draw a line between jingoism and nationalism. And I only want to reiterate that whenever the two countries have the possibility of artistic exchange, we should do our best to enable them. Surely, this sentiment is not any different than what the Indian governments recent diplomatic efforts signal.”
Pakistan High Commission's denial of my visa application is laughable-Anupam Kher
7:58 AM
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; February 3, 2016)
Pakistan has reportedly
denied a visa to Anupam Kher, who was invited by the organisers of a
literary festival in Karachi as one of their guests. He is hurt that he
was singled out among 18 other Indians, whose visas were cleared. The
Pakistan High Commission, however, has claimed that the actor never
submitted any application for the visa.
Kher told Bombay Times, “The Pakistan High Commission says they haven't received my visa application and that's laughable. This is an eyewash. It's ridiculous. If that was the case, why would Ameena Saiyid, the Festival Director, apologize to my manager? I was to leave on February 5 and attend the lit fest on February 6 and 7 for my book. My name has been printed on their festival's schedule. I was told that I hadn't filed the visa application directly. The other 17 people hadn't done it themselves either, but they were issued a visa. I am sad, hurt and disappointed that I have been denied one. I wonder if they have taken this decision as I do not speak to please anyone. A certain section of people in Pakistan should know that I had written an open letter to terrorists, after the gruesome Peshawar attacks. People across the border appreciate my work as an actor. I don't think art and culture should have boundaries. As a citizen, I would want to amend things.“
When asked if he would consider going to Pakistan if the authorities changed their decision, Kher said, “I had cancelled other commitments for this event. Like me, even the people of Pakistan will be disappointed.“
Kher told Bombay Times, “The Pakistan High Commission says they haven't received my visa application and that's laughable. This is an eyewash. It's ridiculous. If that was the case, why would Ameena Saiyid, the Festival Director, apologize to my manager? I was to leave on February 5 and attend the lit fest on February 6 and 7 for my book. My name has been printed on their festival's schedule. I was told that I hadn't filed the visa application directly. The other 17 people hadn't done it themselves either, but they were issued a visa. I am sad, hurt and disappointed that I have been denied one. I wonder if they have taken this decision as I do not speak to please anyone. A certain section of people in Pakistan should know that I had written an open letter to terrorists, after the gruesome Peshawar attacks. People across the border appreciate my work as an actor. I don't think art and culture should have boundaries. As a citizen, I would want to amend things.“
When asked if he would consider going to Pakistan if the authorities changed their decision, Kher said, “I had cancelled other commitments for this event. Like me, even the people of Pakistan will be disappointed.“
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