Beyond borders: India and Pakistan share a beautiful camaraderie with unique bonds of culture, food and films

India and Pakistan were declared two separate, independent countries in 1947; however, they still share large swaths of culture, and common love for food, music and art. Language: Hindi and Urdu have so many common words that it becomes difficult to differentiate between the two. Urdu is widely spoken in both nations and is the favorite language of the poets in both the countries. Punjabi and Sindhi are languages similar to both the countries. However, one major difference between Indian Punjabi and Pakistani Punjabi is the script. The Indian one is written in Gurmukhi script and Pakistani one in Shahmukhi.

Folk tales such as Heer Ranjha, Shirin and Farhad and Mirza Sahiban are famous in both lands.

Islamic Sufism, poetry and Sufi music is also well-known throughout Pakistan and India.

Food- Both countries are famous worldwide for their delicious cuisines and spicy curries. There are many similarities in the traditional food of the two countries going back to the times of Mughal Empire. Both Indians and Pakistanis absolutely love their Murgh Tikka, Amritsari Machhi, Afghani Chicken, Lahori Biryani, Sarson da saag, Lassi, Paranthe, Khamiri roti, Kheer, Jalebi, Laddoo, Imrati, Gajar ka halwa, Khubani ka meetha…. and we could go on and on and on.

Festivals- Since most people in both countries have agricultural land, they both celebrate common seasonal and agricultural festivals such as Baisakhi, which is a Thanksgiving Day for farmers and Basant, celebrated at the end of the winter season. Besides that, Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha are also commonly celebrated in both countries.

Mughals left intricate architecture, which became symbolic of the nation’s heritage. The Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan, as well as Taj Mahal in Agra, India were both constructed by Mughal emperors. Other heritage sites include Shalimar garden, Tomb of Jhangir, Dewan e Khas, etc.

Clothes: Outfits are quite typical of a place. For Indians and Pakistanis, these ensembles however are pretty similar. Kurta-pajama, Punjabi jutti (a type of shoe), phulkari (embroidery) and turbans can be seen across the lands.

Sports : India and Pakistan call hockey their national sport but the most famous sport in both countries is cricket. Kabaddi is another traditional sport played only in both the subcontinent countries. Every cricket match between the two nations brings us closer, instead of tearing us apart.

Music. Love for music is also common in both the countries, and singers from Pakistan frequently sing in Indian movies. And often while singing in music competitions even in their own countries, they often pick the tunes from across the border.

Films. A shared love of Bollywood. There are many actors in Pakistan who follow and aspire to become like Bollywood stars as Pakistanis love Indian movies as much as Indians love Pakistani music and dramas. Films and TV have been one big medium of the cultural exchange between the two countries. As much as we love the Pakistani artists who have worked in Indian films like Fawad Khan, Ali Zafar, Mahira Khan and others, Indian actors such as Johnny Lever and Nassiruddin Shah who have done work in Lollywood, the Pakistani film industry.!

We even received joint Nobel award in 2014..! Indian child rights activist Kailash Satyarthi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize shared with Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai who was shot by the Taliban in 2012.