Ratna Pathak Shah calls Fawad a team player
Veteran Indian actress and director Ratna Pathak Shah has spoken warmly about Pakistani heartthrob Fawad Khan and think back to his intelligence, confidence and down to earth attitude while working in Bollywood.
Ratna, who played Fawad’s on-screen mother in Khoobsurat and Kapoor & Sons, described the Pakistani star as an intelligent and self assured person who knew exactly who he was.
Fawad had already established himself as a major star in Pakistan before he entered Bollywood with Khoobsurat in 2014.
His popularity also quickly grew among Indian audiences which marked him one of the most talked about Pakistani actors to cross over into Hindi cinema.
Despite arriving in India with an established star status of his own, Ratna said Fawad did not bring any unnecessary baggage with him and worked like a genuine team player.
The actress also recalled the bond they shared on the sets, with Fawad affectionately referring to her as his “permanent filmi maa” after working with her in two films.
Fawad’s Bollywood journey, however, was cut short as political tensions between India and Pakistan led to Pakistani artists facing restrictions on working in the Indian film industry.
Ratna had openly criticised the situation at the time and called the restrictions on Pakistani artists a problem but saying it was “not an insurmountable” one.
She also noted that limiting cross border artistic participation reflected a narrow view and said art could help people connect and encounter different stories.
With films such as Khoobsurat, Kapoor & Sons and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, Fawad left a notable mark on Hindi cinema despite his relatively short Bollywood stint.
His return to an Indian film project in Abir Gulaal later faced renewed controversy following continuing political tensions.