Life & Style

Lahore would be film capital if it weren't for partition: Om Puri

Bollywood actor says artists work for promotion of love, and are assets for all nations

Our Correspondent December 17, 2015

Bollywood legend Om Puri. PHOTO: FILE

LAHORE: Veteran Indian actor Om Puri has said Lahore could have been a hub of film industry if Pakistan and India were not separated.

“Great Indian actors came to Lahore to act, and legends like Pirthvi Raj Kapoor also benefited from the ancient city's film industry,” Puri said, while speaking at a ceremony on his to Pakistan on Thursday.

The Bollywood actor said he was always elated to see the cultural activities in the historic city, its ancient buildings and cultural diversity.

“I am impressed by the historic buildings and variety of culture in Lahore, and whenever I come here, people give me respect and beautiful memories,” he added.

‘Tougher for the young girls who come to the film industry’

About the recent acts of intolerance by the Hindu hardliner group Shiv Sena, Puri said he opposed cancellation of Ghulam Ali’s concert in India and acknowledged the latter as a great singer.

“I believe artists work for the promotion of love, and are an asset for all nations."

Millions of Indians, Puri said, did not like what was happening with Pakistani artists in their country. He also condemned terror activities in Pakistan.

“I oppose terrorism activities in Pakistan and also condemn last year’s attack on Army Public School in Peshawar,” he said.

COMMENTS (7)

Milind | 8 years ago | Reply @sterry - "Imagine how developed and modern India would be if India stayed a colony of the British. Does he mean that India should remain under British rule too?" India had made significant progress and was the world leader, before your co-religionists & fathers invaded it and set it back to their medieval ways...Britishers were way later.

Sameer | 8 years ago | Reply @sterry.....same Bangladesh wouldn't be economically ahead today if it didn't separated from pakk

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IndianGuy | 8 years ago | Reply @sterry India would not have been developed and modern if British had stayed. In fact in last decade of the British Raj, the growth rate of India was 0%. The economy didn't grow at all for a whole century. Britain grew at the expense of its colonies, colonies didn't grow.

G. Din | 8 years ago | Reply Paraphrased, what he is saying Lahore missed out on being the "hub of film industry" because it is not in India. He is grossly mistaken as Kolkata and Mumbai were preeminent hubs of the film industry and Lahore could not have competed with them even then. But one wonders. Here is a man, like his other Punjabi Hindu brothers like Kapoors, Chopras and the like, who fled Pakistan to save their very lives and arrived in India with just the shredded shirts on their backs, has still not gotten rid of wishful nostomania for Pakistan. Oh, how we "love" Punjabi Hindus and Punjabi Mussalmans! Pity, they couldn't be together.

Arijit Sharma | 8 years ago | Reply Lahore would also be Hindu/Sikh owned if there was no partition.

Hameed | 8 years ago | Reply Om Puri condemned Aamir Khan on his comment on intolerance. I have lost respect for Om Puri.

sterry | 8 years ago | Reply Who cares whether some Indian actor says that Lahore would or wouldn't be some great film city if partition did or didn't take place? Imagine how developed and modern India would be if India stayed a colony of the British. Does he mean that India should remain under British rule too?

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