Indian actress Nandita Das, the co-star alongside Shabana Azmi of the acclaimed film Fire met women's rights activists and peace campaigners in the city yesterday, floating her idea to launch theatre workshops conducted jointly by Indian and Pakistani artistes.

Das's three-day visit to Lahore ended yesterday.

During it, she spoke at a private university, as a key-note speaker, discussed joint Indo-Pakistan theatre productions with professionals and met activists at meetings organized by NGOs.

Das is in Pakistan as part of a delegation of Indian activists, writers and artistes invited by Action Aid, an international NGO active in the region. Shabnum Hashmi, Gohar Raza and other prominent Indian rights activists are a part of the delegation. Nandita Das received a warm welcome at the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) yesterday, and her pIndo-Pakistan peace efforst were hailed.

It was also agreed that Pakistani and Indian women shared many problems, which could be highlighted through theatrical performances.

Das also told Gulf News‚ she had "met producers such as Samina Peerzada and Mehreen Jabbar in Karachi", and actress and director Madeeha Gauhar of the Ajoka Theatre in Lahore, and found "them very cooperative and conducive to ideas."

Das is keen to initiate joint projects with such professionals in Pakistan. During her visit, Nandia Das has stressed steps must be taken to counter the propaganda forwarded by jaundiced textbooks in both India and Pakistan. Collaborations in film and theatre are a way of doing this.

Das is in Lahore for three days and said she hoped to return to Pakistan to participate in some of the theatre workshops that are being planned.

She also said she takes a dim view of films like LoC and Border that portray India and Pakistan as enemies.

Das said she is hopeful but wary of the recent thaw in Indo-Pakistan relations, which have been marred by false starts. This is her third visit to Pakistan.

Das also works with the Delhi-and Gujrat-based Anhad organisation.