Pakistani actresses eye Bollywood

Pakistani actresses eye Bollywood

    Pakistani actors may still be reluctant about pursuing their luck in Bollywood, but their female counterparts are scripting a different trend altogether.
    For instance, Meesha Shafi, Humaima Malik, Sarah Loren, Mehreen Syed, Saeeda Imtiaz and TV chat show host Mathira are making serious progress in their pursuit of a big Bollywood break. Meanwhile, Veena Malik, who was invited to be part of a reality show here, has tasted some success in the industry. Meera, probably one of the first Pakistani actresses to act in Bollywood with Soni Razdan’s Nazar (2005), is also set for a comeback.
    Says Pakistani filmmaker Iram Parveen Bilal, who made her directorial debut with Josh, “Given the current lack of film production in Pakistan, it is natural for actresses to seek opportunities in India. Art and artistes play a positive role in Indian society; they are more valued in India than Pakistan. So, it is natural to be drawn to India to earn that kind of respect and attention and seek that kind of validation.”
    Says director Mahesh Bhatt, “Mumbai is the Los Angeles of the East. It is the second entertainment capital of the world. If Yana, who hails from Eastern Europe, can use Bollywood to pole vault herself to fame and fortune, it’s natural for aspirants from the SAARC countries to do so. The girls from Pakistan have an obvious edge over their ‘rivals’ in India. They speak chaste Urdu and are therefore looked upon as an asset. Moreover, we come from the same racial stock. Our cultural DNA is the same.”

MEESHA SHAFI In Mira Nair’s adaptation of Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist

VEENA MALIK In Mumbai 125 Kms. She will also star in The City That Never Sleeps

MEERA The actress last worked in Mahesh Bhatt’s Nazar and is now set to return to Bollywood

MEHREEN SYED This Pakistani supermodel has signed on for Lahore director Sanjay Puran Singh’s next

HUMAIMA MALIK Debuted in 2011 with Bol. She has now signed Sher and is in talks for a Vidhu Vinod Chopra film

SARAH LOREN The actress, formerly known as Mona Lizza, will appear in Mukesh Bhatt’s Murder 3