Veteran filmmaker and Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) President, Ashoke Pandit, has firmly objected to the return of Pakistani actor Fawad Khan to the Hindi film industry with his upcoming movie Abir Gulaal. In a recent interview, Pandit remarked that Fawad’s involvement would provoke a strong reaction from the public across the country and “the entire national will react to the same.” During a conversation with IANS, Ashoke Pandit voiced his disapproval of the film industry’s ongoing collaboration with Pakistani actors, despite an existing ban. He described this engagement as being “disrespectful to the nation’s interests” and raised concerns over the lack of any Pakistani celebrity publicly speaking out against terrorist attacks in India. Pandit questioned the commonly held belief that art goes beyond borders, arguing against the idea. He pointed out that, in his view, no Pakistani artist has ever publicly condemned attacks on Indian soldiers or civilians. According to him, failing to align with national sentiment should not go without repercussions. He warned that the public would strongly react to the situation, …