11 Pakistani Films In 10 Years That Cast Indian Artists

If you were born in early 2000, you might not be aware that Pakistan & India enjoyed a healthy collaboration in Art, Music, Films, and yes, even dramas! We give you 11 Pakistani films in 10 years that had Indian Artists – What will the next 10 Years bring us?

Unfortunately, we see a gaping hole in the industry today as the two nations have not been able to collaborate with the free flow of ideas that gave us landmark content – and here we are, with a throwback to some mention-worthy Pakistani projects that placed Art above all else & starred Indian artists in lead and supportive roles.

1. Ramchand Pakistani – (2008)

Indian actor Nandita Das & Pakistani actor Rashid Farooqui star in this debut Mehreen Jabbar feature film. Ramchand was a project of the father-daughter duo Mehreen Jabbar (direction), Javed Jabbar (production), and what a stellar piece of content to hit cinemas. The story is an adaptation of actual events, outlining the crossing over (unknowingly) of a Pakistani fisherman and his son to Indian territory. What follows is a heart-breaking depiction of events, with both Nandita & Rashid handing out mind-blowing performances. If Art could take on a complete cinematic experience, this one is ticking off all the right boxes. Watch this one if it’s the ONE colab project you watch!

2. Saltanat – (2014)

The most expensive Pakistani film of that time, Saltanat had a monumental budget of Rs. 22 Crores and was shot in Malaysia and Dubai. Saltanat starred several Indian actors along with some Pakistani artists. Bigg Boss 4 winner and popular soap Kasauti Zindagi Ki fame Shweta Tiwari played a lead role in it opposite our very own Qayamat star Ahsan Khan. Other talented Indian actors In the film include Hindi-Marathi actor Deepak Shirke and Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, and Bigg Boss 5 fame Akashdeep Saigal. Despite having an ensemble cast and big-budget, the film couldn’t do much on the box office and is considered a big flop.

3. Khuda Ke Liye – (2007)

One of the most successful Pakistani films from Shoaib Mansoor, Khuda Ke Liye was released both in India and Pakistan and won several awards from both countries for its exceptional story and production. The film was shot in Lahore, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Chicago, and London. It starred veteran Bollywood actor Naseer ud Din Shah in a pivotal role along with superstars Fawad Khan, Shaan Shahid, and Iman Ali. Khuda Ke Liye is still considered the highest-grossed Pakistani film with almost 2.1 Million Dollars worldwide business.

4. Godfather – (2007)

Inspired by the Hollywood film, Godfather is an Ary Film released in October 2007 nationwide. The film starred various Bollywood stars in important roles with big Pakistani names like Meera, Atiqa Odho, Mikaal Zulfiqar, Shafqat Cheema, and Ajab Gul. It was the first film to bring Bollywood superstar Vinod Khanna to Pakistani screens and had recognized Indian stars such as Hrishita Bhatt, Arbaz Khan, Amrita Arora, Nafisa Ali, Kim Michelle Sharma, and Preeti Jhangiani in pivotal roles.

5. Mein Ek Din Laut Ke Aaunga – (2007)

Inspired by Bollywood’s Karz, It was a thriller that starred Indian Actresses Pooja Kanwal and Nausheen Ali Sardar opposite Humayun Saeed. Directed by Javed Fazli, the film had veterans Javed Sheikh and Nadeem together and was shot in India’s Mumbai and Hyderabad.

6. Virsa – (2010)

Virsa was a Punjabi Indo-Pak film that was shot in Australia and was released in 2010 in India and Pakistan. The film cast Pakistani stars Naumaan Ijaz and Mehreen Raheel and also included Indian Actors. It starred Arya Babbar, Gulshan Grover, Kanwaljit Singh, and Aman Singh Dhaliwal. Virsa was Art in motion – based on cultural values, it is a beautiful story of two friends from Pakistan and India (played by Nauman Ijaz and Kanwaljit Singh) and when they meet after 20 years in Australia. It scripted the change in their lives over the years.

7. Koi Tujhsa Kahaan – (2005)

The 2005 Pakistani movie ‘Koi Tujhsa Kahaan’ directed by Reema and written by Khalil ur Rehman Qamar was released in Pakistan and UK. The film had several Indian artists who acted and had also composed musical sequences for it. Indian Tamil Actress Simran Babbar starred in it along with Veena Malik and Reema opposite Moammar Rana. The musical score boasted well-known names like Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, Shreya Ghoshal, and Abhijeet Bhattacharya in collaboration with Pakistani stars Naseebo Lal, Wajid Ali Nashad (Father of Ace Musician Naveed Nashad), and Amjad Bobby. The film did well on the box office and is considered one of the hit Pakistani movies.

8. Zinda Bhaag – (2013)

Another notable Pakistan film from ARY that starred veteran Bollywood Actor Naseer Ud Din Shah. Zinda Bhaag can be considered an Art film was a Punjabi film based on illegal migration and won several awards for its amazing execution. Pakistani stars Aamna Ilyas, Zain Afzal, and Samiya Mumtaz were part of the project.

9. Khaamosh Paani – (2004)

An Indo-Pak Movie Khaamosh Paani was written by Indian Filmmaker Paromita Vohra and directed by our Yaqeen Ka Safar star Sabiha Sumar. The film was shot in Pakistan and was based on the journey of a widowed mother and her son. Veteran Bollywood star Kirron Kher who is the wife of Bollywood star Anupam Kher played the lead role along with Indian Television Actor Aamir Malik and film actress Shilpa Shukla. Pakistani Actors Adnan Shah Tipu, Salman Shahid, and Arshad Mehmood were also part of it.

10. Kabhi Pyaar Na Karna – (2008)

Bollywood Actress Neha Dhupia made a special appearance in the 2008 film Kabhi Pyar Na Karna which was shot in the US and Pakistan. The film had big names in our entertainment industry including Veena Malik, Moammar Rana, Shamyl Khan, and Zara Sheikh.

11. Love Mein Ghum – (2011)

Produced and Directed by Lollywood superstar Reema, Love Mein Ghum had Bollywood Comedian Johny Lever. The film’s music was composed by several Indian musicians including Shreya Ghoshal, Shantanu Mukherjee (better known as Shaan), Kailash Kher, Sunidhi Chauhan along with Pakistani musicians, Shazia Manzoor, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ali Zafar, and Abrar Ul Haq. Despite being a quality production and hosting a huge cast, the film didn’t do too well at the box office.

Apart from films, Indian Artists have also worked in Pakistani Dramas such as Bekhudi and Lekin that starred Bidaai and Bigg Boss 4 fame Sara Khan in lead roles along with Noor Hassan, Farhan Malhi, Bilal Abbas Khan, and Ali Abbas. And Ary’s Soap Serial Chaltay Chaltay brought famous Indian Sitcom Sharaarat fame Shruti Seth and Veteran Fareeda Jalaal.

There was a time when Art transcended Politics, India and Pakistan experienced healthy, creative and cordial relationships, and more than that – flourishing & exciting creative endeavours that brought the best of both countries to us.

And there you have it, 2004 to 2014 – 11 (and many more) collaborations in 10 years – what did the next 10 years bring us? It’s anybody’s guess, but sadly, the writing is on the wall – may we get past this too!

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