Ever since the clash between Pakistani militants and the Indian army in Uri, there has been an uproar about Pakistani artists working in India. The Indian Motion Picture Producers Association even announced that Pakistani artists are banned from working in Indian films and television until “normalcy” returns.
One of the people to come under fire was Fawad Khan, who has already shot for the soon-to-be-released Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. Things got worse when quotes attributed to him started doing the rounds on social media and WhatsApp groups – quotes where he allegedly says things like “Indian person’s heart is so small” and “My first priority is Pakistan.” While there was never any authentic source confirmed for these quotes, they regardless began doing the rounds and, from the looks of it, many people believed that he’d actually said them.
Fawad has now come out to release a statement, in which he makes it clear that he’s been in Pakistan since July – before the attacks and the resulting controversies. He also said that this is the first time he’s speaking about the matter, and has therefore not said anything else attributed to him.
Here’s his full statement:
I’ve been in Lahore since July as my wife and I had been expecting our second child.
I’ve received numerous requests from the media and from well wishers worldwide asking me for my thoughts on the sad incidents that took place in the past few weeks. As a father of two little children, I pray and wish like many others that together we can build and live in a more peaceful world. I believe we owe it to our children who will shape our tomorrow.
This is the first time I have spoken on the matter. Please disregard any other words attributed to me during this time because I have not said them. I thank all my fans and fellow artists from Pakistan, India and people in general all over the world who have shown continued support for their belief in love and understanding to unite a divisive world.