Monday, May 22, 2006

Taj Mahal in Pakistan with Tipsy Feroz Khan & Angry Mahesh Bhatt

So bald-pated Feroz Khan, fuelled by a liberal dose of alcohol in puritanical Pakistan, spake the truth. Or so he (and I) thought. But of course Mush & Hesh won’t agree. Oh! My, what a shocker!

I started out thinking that I would offer my two paise worth on the ban on Feroz Khan entering Pakistan and a few pungent remarks about banning the entry of terrorists into India sent by ex-commando and current Fat Ass General Pervez Musharraf.

To get down to writing my stuff I did a bit of research as I was not au courant with what really happened in Pakistan last month. The moment I read some news reports I immediately changed my mind. Now I just had to react to the comments of our very own Mahesh Bhatt, even if it meant giving him some more publicity.

Now don’t get me wrong. I have immense respect for the man. He is the only one I know who is absolutely comfortable on TV in his loud Jackson-Heights-meets-Juhu-Gully accent when he gives us his 99% content-free gyaan. On any topic under the sun. He just takes the topic by the scruff if its neck and launches ahead.
Amazing guy.


For those who have come in late let me quote, from media reports, what Feroz Khan apparently said at the function:

"India is a secular country, Muslims there are making a lot of progress. Our President is a Muslim, the PM a Sikh. Pakistan was made in the name of Islam, but look how Muslims are killing each other.”

Now for the life of me I cannot see any comment that is untrue. Please feel free to mention the ones you feel are incorrect.
I have even tabulated the stuff just to figure out what was wrong in the comment. Still can’t see any.

India is a secular country
True
Muslims there are making a lot of progress
By and Large True. Could be better though.

Our President is a Muslim
True

the PM a Sikh
True

Pakistan was made in the name of Islam
True
but look how Muslims are killing each other
True


However good old Mahesh went ballistic against Feroz Khan. Media reports state that he said:

"Feroz was part of a Bollywood delegation that had gone to Lahore for the premiere of an Indian film after 41 years. But he was intoxicated and said that in India the president is a Muslim and the prime minister a Hindu. But the Muslims in Pakistan don't get the same treatment as they do in India. This led to the argument. All of us were so embarrassed. The damage has been done. The situation became unmanageable as the party was well attended by the who's who of Bollywood and Pakistan."

Embarrassed? At what?
  1. That analysts believe that Pakistan is fast turning into a failed state?
  2. Or that the raison d'ĂȘtre of the creation of Pakistan has been falsified?
  3. Or that it took an inebriated actor to bring it up?
Can’t figure this one out.

And that the damage was done. The damage to what? Pakistan? India? India’s relations with Pakistan? Probably to the chances of doing business in Pakistan?
Aah, now we are talking.
Given that it is a military dictatorship obviously there will be none of the checks and balances that are present in India and therefore the cause for concern was obvious and in some sense acceptable.

But then our man went ahead and said, "All of us apologised to the people and the high commissioner of Pakistan. And they were magnanimous enough to look away when they heard him. I have apologised to Fakr Alam and the people of Pakistan for Khan’s behaviour, and I hope they will forgive us,"

I am sure they will forgive you. But may I ask why this kind of ass licking? Here he goes hell for leather at most people but the moment he touches Pakistani soil he is concerned about how to behave etc. That is quite a change and all it required was a crossing of the border. And again, someone please tell me what is he apologizing for?

I remember Riaz Khokhar making all sorts of comments against India when he was High Commissioner here and was invited to all Page 3 parties. I do not remember a single protest from any of the celebrities, including Mahesh bhai, present. And definitely none from Pakistan. To top it all Mr. Khokhar was the official representative of Pakistan in India. Feroz Khan was not. So why is Mahesh Bhatt getting so hyper?

Bhattji goes on to add, “I hope we can put this behind us and march ahead. We owe this to the millions of Indians and Pakistanis who want a peaceful South Asia."

Now what on earth is the bloody connection between peace in South Asia and Feroz Khan telling off a bunch of Pakistanis? And since when has Mahesh Bhatt become responsible for peace in South Asia? This is delusions of grandeur gone crazy.

Of course to top it all is Akbar Khan’s comment.

"We are very upset about the comment made by BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in which he has called my brother a ‘true nationalist’. He is viewing my brother in a wrong light.”

Eh?!? Does he really mean what he says?

Statutory Warning: All reactions are based on reports that have appeared in the mainstream media.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

For a Pakistani blogger reaction see Musharraf's New Uniform?

Anonymous said...

Althogh I agree that what Feroz Khan said was true and that he shouldn't have been banned by the Pres. of Pak I do believe it's the pot calling the kettle black here. The reality is that India is not exactly the leader on human-rights issues in this world either. Their is alot of violence and killings that go on in India as well and even more humanrights violations than in Pak.

Anonymous said...

Some times its appropriate to give the other side the middle finger salute.
Feroz did the right thing on being provoked.
It is also interesting that i found several Pakistani sites B*ching about him being drunk, but the ?stion is where was he and who was hosting?
he was in Pakistan an Islamic country where alcohol is hard to get (unless you R rich or don't know what a ghada is)
who else were drinking with him,
the same folks he attacked.
Incidentally Musharraf Bilal and the rest of the gang were sitting around with kissinger and associates during his last trip to nyc, every one had accesss to wine courtesy of pakistan government.
Other dignitaries present there were saudi ambassador to US
Not a flinch not a stink.
They all drank up courtesy of pakistan.
PS Wine from Kandahar has been celebrated in india and its neighborhood for longer than islam has been around in the neighborhood.

Anonymous said...

Poor Feroz Khan! No matter how rich he gets, he will still stay 4th class citizen of Bharat. Mostly I hear from Hindu Bhartis how much they hate Muslims of their country and how they are the poorest people of Bharat.You all know that they come after the "untouchables" in the "Bharatia cast system list".Poor drunken Feroz Khan and poor Muslims of Bharat.They are so complexed or maybe scared of Hindus that they always try to clear their position. Always trying to prove their faithfulness by bashing Pakistan, otherwise don't know when any neighbour or friend would barge into their house and rape their women, and then burn them to death. They made a choice of staying in such a radical extremist, so called secular, Hindu country, Bharat. Eventually they will go extinct either because of riots or by getting married into lower cast hindus. No matter how much propoganda you do about it being a "failed nation,"Pakistan is here to stay, "In your FACE". Bharat, being 10 times larger in population and several times larger in area, still feels threatened by "little Pakistan".That's why Bharat is begging for nukes, "oh please bhagwan kay nam pay nukes day do hamain Pakistan say khatra hai!!" Talk about truth, let me tell you the facts.
Poverty is still a big problem in Bharat (In Pakistan,no one sleeps hungry)
homelessness(In Pakistan homelessness has never been a problem)
racism ( Bharat has the highest number of riots in the world) and prostitution (Bharat has the highest number of HIV infected in the world). Bharat is No. 1 in Aids.But that factor has also helped Bharat boost up its economy, may it be Arab Sheikhs or US Businessmen.This is the truth, so I don't think anyone should get offended. And, by the way, your Muslim President, just a puppet and your Sikh prime minister, yet another puppet with his strings in the hands of an Italian, Sonia!

Anonymous said...

Question; if that was a indian journalist or indian paparazzi asking those questions would feroz khan have reacted in the same manner? i think not - looks like this guy has got some personal issues happening.... i don't know what it is with South Asians living in South Asia, especially the muslims in India - really they ought to relax - we know your indian, why do you feel the need to display such acts of suposed natinalist behaviour? Surely if you are comfortable being who you are why behave like he did - and if it is a case that he was being the gentleman where manisha is concerened then tell the reporter of for misbehaving with a lady - whats with all the political crap... feroz khan - dude everyone is different, perhaps in your owe and might you may have forgotten this tiny little pointer - so dont brand an entire nation!!!

Anonymous said...

I wasnt quite sure about what feroz khan said, after knowing I am surprised what he said, not that I dont believe that its true, but in todays day and age, this happens everywhere unfortunately. I think he was drunk and acted silly. As for Mr Mahesh Bhatt, well hats of to him for being polite, respectful and showing that whether indian or pakistani it is wrong to display such silly behaviour. Crazy things have been going on in india regarding muslims, doesnt mean we should all start putting indians down. Infact I think we need more people like Mr Mahesh Bhatt to get involved in politics so that everyone will feel proud of being indian and pakistani.

Anonymous said...

In response to Anonymous remark that Hindus consider muslims as fourth class citizen. he should know there are only two class, the class of haves and have nots.

Hindus have better things to do. If muslims in India are poor then it is Islam's teaching behind this. Muslims with small families are happy in India like Hindus and muslims with big families are unhappy like hindus with big families.

Pakis first introspect why they have eliminated hindu temples and hindus in pakistan. Why there are no hindus in their parliament when population at the time of independence was 16%. Why hindus are just 3% today? Islam is not the religion people like to accept unless forced on them by swords as happened in India.

Rajinder

Anonymous said...

Pradeep

It is useless to talk about pakistan, Pakistan is a failed state. sooner or later it will end due to own principles. I dont know why pakis are allowed in india, I met a lot of paki in US and canada, they are not respected by any race of this earth by any other race, why ? because they are wrong side. India shdould not allowed pakis in india other wise they will harm us the way they did in Bombay.