Veteran actor Anupam Kher says it is really important for Pakistani actors to say that "I condemn the unfortunate massacre of Indian soldiers".
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) had recently told the media that there was "an anti-Pakistan" wave across India after the September 18 terror attack that left 18 Indian soldiers dead at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir. Following which, MNS issued an ultimatum on September 23 to all Pakistani cine and television artistes to leave India.
Asked about it, Anupam said at an event for channel Zindagi, which will soon beam his first production of a fiction TV show, here: "It is really important to say that 'I condemn the unfortunate massacre of Indian soldiers'. They (Pakistani actors) need to do that. We have always shown our goodness and friendship.
"There are some people from Pakistan who are wonderful and are great hosts. But when it comes to my country and my jawaans (soldiers), I cannot be diplomatic. I'm biased towards my country."
The "Special 26" star also believes that art and culture should not have any boundary.
"But I think more than that, the responsibility of the actors who work across the border with us should be to condemn the terrorists who killed our soldiers. It's very important. I am not saying you condemn your country. Politically, it may not be the correct move," he said.
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The 61-year-old star says he is biased towards India because "if my dream has come true it's because I am an Indian. Indian people, audiences, producers... everybody made me. I am an international actor but from India," he added.
Anupam says that it is important to tell people "that we are thankful, we are given work in this country. But we also condemn the act of killing Indian jawaans".
In fact, in 2014, Anupam had written an open letter to terrorists responsible for the attack in a school in Peshawar, Pakistan.
"When there was an attack in Peshawar school and 147 children were unfortunately massacred by the terrorists, I being an Indian actor, born in India, wrote an open letter to terrorists, condemning the act.
"When there is a tragedy...you need to sort of feel bad for it and condemn it. From that level, I wrote it because I felt those children were our children," he said.
--IANS
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