Shaan-e-Pakistan cancels invitations for Indian artists

Rekha Bhardwaj, Harshdeep Kaur and Vishal Bhardwaj were invited to participate in a music summit in Lahore

KARACHI: After calling for ban on Pakistani artistes working in the Indian film industry, singers Rekha Bhardwaj and Harshdeep Kaur have allegedly withdrawn their names from Shaan-e-Pakistan 2019 gala in Lahore next month.

Globally known for tracks such as Genda phool and Kabira, Rekha was invited to the annual event where stakeholders from India and Pakistan's music industry were supposed to participate in a two-day music event on March 21 and March 22.

PHOTO: FILE

"I cancelled our show to Pakistan immediately after the Pulwama attack," Rekha, who was due to travel with her team, told IANS.

Harshdeep, who has sung melodious numbers like Heer and Dilbaro, confirmed to the website that she will also not be a part of the event in Lahore.

However, the cancellations from artists across the border won't stop the show from rolling. Talking to The Express Tribune, Shanze'Faiz, the director project Shaan-e-Pakistan rubbished all the rumours.

"It's just speculation for now. We haven't received any notice in regards to the Indian artists pulling out of the show as yet," she said. "However, their presence doesn't make much of a difference anyway. The show will go on with or without them."

Apart from Rekha Bhardwaj, Harshdeep Kaur is also set to mark her singing debut in Pakistan with the song Ballay Ballay. PHOTO: FILE

Shaan-e-Pakistan Management is even thinking about cancelling the invitations to Indian participants in the light of Javed Akhter and Shabana Azmi's objectionable remarks post Pulwama attack.

"After what Javed Akhter and Shabana Azmi said about our country, we are thinking if we even need Indian artists in our festival. If anything, we will probably ask them to not come. The event is about lauding talented Pakistani artists and it will go on like that," she added.

The February 14 terror attack has had a direct impact on cultural ties between India and Pakistan.

Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar. PHOTO: INDIA TODAY

While the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) and All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) have announced that Indian film-makers must not release their films in Pakistan and that no collaboration with Pakistani talent must be pursued, Azmi and her lyricist-writer husband earlier axed their visit to Karachi to take part in centenary celebrations of Shabana's poet-father Kaifi Azmi.

In fact, Rekha's multi-faceted husband and film-maker Vishal Bhardwaj was also planning travel to Pakistan for research on the Netflix series Midnight's Children, based on Salman Rushdie's novel.

However, as of now the plan of the web series' showrunner stands cancelled, said a source in the know.

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