While fierce conflict escalated between the powerful militaries of India and Pakistan, a different kind of battle was also waged on the cultural front, despite a long-standing shared appreciation for films and music. The deadly hostilities in early May—the most severe in decades—impacted artists who had previously been unaffected by the animosity between the leaders of both nations.
Ali Gul Pir, a Pakistani rapper and comedian with a significant Indian fan base, had released a song years ago that satirized Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Although he faced no repercussions at that time, in May, his YouTube channel and Instagram profile were blocked in India. Pir informed AFP, “Indians now recognize that the digital space serves as a bridge between Pakistanis and Indians, and they seem intent on severing that connection.”
The deterioration in bilateral relations was triggered after New Delhi accused Islamabad of a deadly April attack on tourists in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan denied the allegations, and following tit-for-tat diplomatic retaliation, their militaries engaged in combat for four days before a ceasefire was declared. This conflict affected the music industry for the first time, with Pakistani singer Annural Khalid also noting a sharp decline in her Indian following.
Khalid, who boasts 3.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify, stated, “Delhi was my top listening city before the ban.” She told AFP, “I suffered a great loss in the audience” from India. Khalid added, “Listeners were deprived of content because music was turned into something it is not.” The conflict also resulted in the removal of some previous collaborations, such as the soundtrack of the 2017 film “Raees” from Spotify in India. It now only features Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan, conspicuously without his Pakistani co-star Mahira Khan.
‘Shared Scars’
With Pakistan producing only a handful of movies each year under stringent censorship regulations, Bollywood has consistently remained popular among viewers. Pakistani film critic Sajeer Shaikh observed, “I grew up watching Bollywood. We have the same traumas, we have the same history, we have the same stories.” For decades, Pakistani actors and directors have viewed achieving success in Bollywood as the ultimate mark of recognition.
Indian star Diljit Dosanjh’s latest movie, ‘Sardaar Ji 3’, which includes four Pakistani actors, has been released “overseas only,” following New Delhi’s ban on Pakistani content and artists from productions. ‘Abir Gulaal’, a romance starring Pakistan’s Fawad Khan and Indian actor Vaani Kapoor, was slated to hit Indian cinemas on May 9 but its release was postponed. Even some within the industry who had previously supported cross-border artistic exchanges shifted their stance last month.
Indian actor Suniel Shetty, who has a large fan base in Pakistan, asserted, “Everything should be banned… cricket, films, everything.” He had starred in the 2004 movie ‘Main Hoon Na’, which subtly promoted peace between India and Pakistan. Dua Zahra, assistant manager at Warner Bros South Asia’s music label in Pakistan, lamented, “It’s something really unfortunate about politics, creating that rift and putting boundaries around art.”
‘Just Create Art’
As part of its measures following the Pahalgam attack, New Delhi’s ban on certain Pakistani YouTube channels also encompassed a private broadcaster. This channel, which reports that approximately 40% of its viewers are from India, simply advised its fans to use a VPN to continue watching. Since Modi assumed office over a decade ago, many Indian critics and filmmakers have warned that Bollywood is increasingly promoting his government’s Hindu nationalist ideology.
While the conflict has created divisions within the cultural landscape, there are indications that the artistic exchange will persist. Over a month after the ceasefire, three Indian films were among the top 10 on Netflix Pakistan, while the top 20 trending songs in India included two Pakistani tracks. Pir, the rapper and comedian, pledged to “bridge gaps.” He stated, “Let’s not make war, let’s just make art.” He added, “Let’s just not bomb each other.”
