EXCLUSIVE: Rajeev Khandelwal expresses disappointment over ban on Pakistani celebs in India; says, “Jahaan aman ban raha hai, wahaan bhi Hindu-Muslim ka angle de detey hain”

Actor Rajeev Khandelwal who has also starred in the Pakistani show ‘Sun Leyna’ reacted to the ban on the Pakistani celebs in India. During a conversation with Bollywood Bubble, Rajeev said that he is not okay with the ban and thinks it’s all politics. Moreover, Rajeev also feels that politics should not dictate certain things and whenever people talk about peace, they make it a Hindu-Muslim angle.

Rajeev Khandelwal on the ban on the Pakistani celebs

When asked if politics should also interfere with the art, he said, “Nahi nahi, it is politics. Bahut galat hai. Logon ko ban karna waaley kaun hote hain politicians? Hamaari politics dictate karti hai kuch cheezon ko. Jahaan par pyar badh sakta hai, us pyar ko bhi aap badhne nahi de rahe, for whatever reasons. So, I don’t understand this. Mera comment karna bhi galath hoga kyunki mujhe samajh hi nahi aata hai ki kyun. Hum aman ki baat karte hain na. To jahaan aman ban raha hai… wahaan bhi political party ke log aakar usko Hindu-Muslim ka angle de detey hain. Toh wo galat hai. Aisa thodi hai ki Pakistan ki government unhe agent ki tarah bhej rahi hai. Pata nahi. I have seen a lot of love coming.“

(No, no, it is politics. It is very wrong. Who are politicians to ban people? Our politics dictates certain things. Where love can grow, you are not even allowing that love to flourish, for whatever reasons. So, I don’t understand this. It would also be wrong for me to comment because I don’t understand why. We talk about peace, right? So, where peace is being created… even there, political party people come and give it a Hindu-Muslim angle. That is wrong. It’s not as if the Pakistani government is sending them as agents. I don’t know. But I have seen a lot of love coming.)

Rajvee Khandelwal on doing a Pakistani show Sun Leyna

The Aamir actor said, “It happened in Dubai, and we shot it in Malaysia. When I did the first series, there was a very popular actor there, Humayun Saeed, who is still quite popular today, and he was the producer. We received a lot of love in Pakistan. From the first series, we received so much love—people were sending gifts, some were sending shoes or kurtas. Even today, I still receive a lot of love from people in Pakistan. I have many people who continuously write to me from Pakistan. I don’t know who they are, I have never met them, but there is a bond with a lot of Pakistani people. They give a lot of love.“

“Humayun then came to Mumbai and he said that he wanted to work with Rajeev and Aamna (Shariff) because our pair was quite liked in Pakistan. So, Humayun came and signed that let’s work with Pakistani people.” When asked if the fees over there were different than in India, Khandelwal said, “The fees were lower, but it was a different experience working with a different unit. At that time, there was always this India-Pakistan thing going on, but somewhere inside, I think there was a lot of love for each other among the people. Politics and the state are separate things, but when it comes to people, there is a lot of love.”

“When we go abroad and meet someone from Pakistan, it feels like we’ve met someone from our own country. It always happens, whether you go to Switzerland, London, or anywhere else. If you meet someone who says, “I am from Pakistan,” and you say, “I am from India,” it feels like we’ve met someone from our own place in this world. It’s a different matter here, but it was very interesting to work with Pakistanis,” he continued.

Watch the full interview here

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