India versus Pakistan cricket matches often turn out to be less about the actual game and more about the Partition, Kashmir, Kargil, Kasab and so on. Sunday’s super match for Pakistanis was also a lot about Pakistan versus Rishi Kapoor. The sexagenarian actor tweeted a few provocative lines that made Pakistanis livid. Perhaps Rishi Kapoor was in the mood to appease the Indian masses, since any statement against Pakistan seems to sell in India these days, or maybe he didn’t think through the repercussions of his words, but battles lines were drawn.

One may ask why people here in Pakistan cared so much about an actor who is well past his prime and known to make provocative tweets. The answer lies in his genealogical association with the city of Peshawar and our conditioned, yet myopic, understanding of Hindi film stars as separate from the rest of India and its political climate.

For many decades now, we have taken pride in ‘owning’ the Kapoor Khandaan, Dilip Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan and even Dev Anand, who had attended the prestigious Government Law College in Lahore — all these cinematic luminaries trace their roots on this side of the border. ‘Yeh sab sitaare yaheen ke toh hain,’ our elders have long told the younger generation that is usually unaware of the mass human exchange of 1947. Kareena Kapoor, for instance, is still a hot favourite here than a Kangana, Deepika or Priyanka; her Pathan-like relatable facial features coupled with Pakistan’s obsession with the fair skin has ensured that she still makes our hearts flutter even after many years.

Whether we like to admit it or not, and even if it makes some Indians uncomfortable, the truth is Hindi films have always been an integral part of the Pakistani composite culture. There is an awe factor attached to the stars as well, even when a small-time actor like Sharad Kapoor (you may ask who?) of Josh fame, landed in Karachi a few years ago, he was invited as the chief guest on many of our morning shows.

Much before they were screened in our cinemas, VHS copies of pirated Indian films were sometimes the only source of entertainment in our homes during the turbulent 80s and 90s. I vividly recall watching Chandni, starring our least-favourite-Kapoor now, for the third time on the day of the General Elections in 1990, one that saw people electing Nawaz Sharif as the Prime Minister for the first time.

That is what people did on their day-off; on weekends and during curfews, which were rampant in the Karachi I grew up in, we devoured Hindi films. Actors like Rishi Kapoor, Anupam Kher, Paresh Rawal and even Sridevi, Madhuri were all part of our paraphernalia of existence, and now a part of our nostalgia. They told stories in a language known to us, the narratives also had semblance on our soil, they were our heroes, heroines and villains, removed from all the nasty trappings of Indo-Pak politics. These cine stars served as our soft connect to the neighbour in an age where the internet or high-blood pressure inducing news channels didn’t exist.

When a veteran actor like Anupam Kher revealed his anti-Pakistan side, it hurt. He was the lovable father, the incorrigible buffoon, the mild-mannered character of so many stories that were dear to our hearts. Highly vocal actors, such as Mr Kher, with an apparent political ambition, do try to control some damage by stating that their stance is against the Pakistani government and not the people, but it is too late and confusing by then.

These seasoned actors on their part are well aware of their Pakistani fan base. They encounter us regularly on neutral grounds such as Dubai or New York, lining up to take selfies and often whispering in their ears, ‘Sir aap kabhi Pakistan jaana aur dekhna log aapko kitna pyar karte hain wahan.’

Rishi Kapoor was among the first Hindi film stars to visit Pakistan during the making of Henna, a project that was very close to his father’s heart and his entire family. Henna was a movie that promoted love and peace between the neighbouring countries, at a time when it was unimaginable. Now, more than ever, we would prefer the Rishi Kapoor of Henna for ourselves. Film stars are the group of Indians we expect to be understood by and not taken for being terrorists; the function of cinematic art, after all, is to blur all man-made lines and limitations. Artistes and politics make for an unsavoury concoction anyway.

Indo-Pak matches, unfortunately, tend to bring out the uncouth in people, the mask of dignity falls off from the faces of educated people, and the mighty tumble from grace as they indulge in a tu-tu main-main with the enemy. On days like those, perhaps it is better for other stars to emulate Mr Amitabh Bachchan, who is careful with his words and mature enough to handle crudity on social media.

[opiniontag]