Maria B blasts Indian designer’s shoot in Pakistan

Designer Maria B recently took to Instagram and questioned Indian artists being allowed to shoot in the country while Pakistani artists have been outright banned from working across the border. The designer reshared a post that expressed disappointment in an Indian designer getting permission to film a campaign in Pakistan. The video in question was from fashion designer Abhinav Mishra’s recent campaign, and the caption read, “Umm, did we suddenly okay relations with #India? How exactly is this taking place?”

Maria B reposted the video, writing, “This is an Indian designer shoot happening in Pakistan! Whoa!” She added, “Umm, if this is happening in Pakistan, why aren’t we allowed to do this in India?” Resharing the same video from another page to her stories, Maria B wrote, “Shouldn’t we as an industry be reacting the same way as India is towards our designers and our creators in their country rather than a one-sided relationship? And what about our PM’s directives about Kashmir?”

Prime Minister Imran Khan recently said if the country revived its relations with New Delhi without the latter giving Indian-Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) its rightful status back, it would be a major “betrayal” with the people of the region. “We cannot improve our trade with New Delhi at the cost of the blood of the Kashmiris spilt by the Indian forces,” he said, while speaking during a two-hour-long live telephonic session. “However, if they [India] go back to the August 5 state [regarding Kashmir] then we can talk to them… we stand by the Kashmiris and we are aware of their sacrifices.”

As a reaction to actor Mahira Khan’s comments on wanting to collaborate with artists across the border in an interview with Film Companion, Raj Thackeray's right-wing Maharashtra Navnirman Sena issued a statement emphasising that no Pakistani artist will be allowed to work in India, reported Times of India. Ameya Khoplar, the president of the MNS cinema wing said in a statement, "We will not allow Mahira or any other Pakistani artists to work here, be it Maharashtra or in any part of the country."