Controversy between compere and actor sours cross-border bonhomie

Lahore: The bonhomie over the release of Taj Mahal, the first Indian film to be legally screened in Pakistan in over 40 years, was soured by an unseemly row between an Indian film director and an young Pakistani compere at a premiere here.

The exchange between actor Feroz Khan and compere Fakhr-e-Alam at the function at Lahore attracted wide media coverage.

Feroz Khan, allegedly tipsy, had caused a commotion when he suggested that Muslims in Pakistan should stop killing one another. "Pakistan was made in the name of Islam but look how the Muslims here are killing one another. Have you ever heard of a Hindu killing a Muslim in the secular state of India?"

Fakhr, host of the event, then veered from the compere's script and started berating Khan.

The Nation, Pakistan's right-wing newspaper, defended Fakhr-e-Alam and condemned Khan: "... Feroz Khan, besides acting and filmmaking, has another reason to fame his repute for picking fights with others.

"So when he did his utmost to pick up a fight with Pakistan's leading compere and pop sensation Fakhr-e-Alam, the other members of the Indian delegation were not surprised, but it left a bad taste in the mouths of the Pakistani audience."

According to Fakhr, the events took an ugly turn when Khan went to Manisha Koirala and shouted at her. "Why did you not tell him [Fakhr] that you are a confident Indian woman?"

Fakhr, who says he knows Manisha from the time when he visited Mumbai last year, had asked her on a lighter vein if she were nervous.

"She had just laughed at my comment," maintained Fakhr. But that was not the case with Khan, who tried to make an issue out of it, says Fakhr.

Feroz told the media people that he did nothing wrong by asking an "over-smart" Fakhr to shut up when he was causing confusion for an actress. However, he said if his act has hurt someone's feelings, he would like to apologise.