“I know my limits.”
Source:magazine.thenews.com.pk
| Diva Talkies..Veena Malik waxes eloquent on Bollywood, the Pakistani mindset, politics, and of course, cricket | ||
| Social media has no boundaries, and thanks to Twitter, one had the chance to talk to the actress Veena Malik. Veena spoke candidly of her survival in the industry via phone from Dubai. If you are Pakistani, she said, it is tough to survive Bollywood; both at home, as well as India. “I want Pakistani people to understand that I have right to live the way I want and I am not going to quit my passion,” she said, convinced that she is an inspiration to many Pakistani girls living in a suppressed society while craving freedom. According to her she knows her limits, which nonetheless are always questioned in Pakistan. While comparing the environment of India and Pakistan, she said that modern cities like Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi still lag behind Mumbai as far as female freedom goes. In Pakistan, girls can’t enjoy freely if they are coming from a party and wearing jeans, unlike in India, where girls move freely. She did share the problems she is facing while working in India, though. Certain political parties make statements against her, claiming she is a terrorist, and shouldn’t be allowed to work in India. “I want to tell them, I am an artist,” she said, “and artists have no boundaries.” Veena may be impressed with the Indian film industry, but that is not the only place she is working. She went to Fiji recently and has done a shoot with an artist from Finland and will soon be going to the UK for a new project. Veena said that India is a bigger platform where artists get more exposure, experience and opportunities to highlight themselves. However, the bigger the industry, the tougher the competition, and according to Veena, she is facing big competition in India. She said, unfortunately, the work in the Pakistani industry is at a standstill. “’Behind’ is the wrong word to use for our industry,” she said. “We don’t exist as an industry. An industry is where you produce and properly display a product and make enough money to run the industry and expose your product internationally.” According to Veena, a single man or project cannot save the industry; it is an attitude overhaul that is needed. Artists should be given more respect, like people in India do with their celebrities. The thing which should be improved next is the display of the product which is cinema. Pakistan has none to very few cinemas which can properly screen films. “Making money out of the movie is as important as making money in any industry,” Veena opined. “If we are making a Pashtu movie with millions of rupees, how can we recover costs by releasing the movie in Peshawar only? I wish I could count on the Government to save the industry but that would be in vain; they have failed to save other industries and institutions.” As far as politics in Pakistan goes, Veena thinks that the situation is kind of funny because everybody wants to rule the country, but nobody wants to fix it. “I see a ray of hope in Imran Khan,” she said, “not because I see a great leader in him, but because he has not been tested yet. Only time will tell if he will be able to change the system or will become the same as others.” As for the many controversies that surround Veena constantly, the actress thinks it is the media in Pakistan that makes a big issue of everything, the Indian media was pretty cool about the pictures that caused an uproar at home (referring to her infamous FHM cover). She said that Sherlyn Chopra posed for an adult magazine but the Indian media didn’t react in any way. In her view, she knows her limits and value being a woman, but the Pakistani media tends to create a scene out of everything. Right now, Veena is concentrating on her profession, and working very hard on her debut album, Drama Queen, which cost 2 million rupees to produce, and two years to think and sing those lyrics. As with every ex-pat, Pakistan is very close to Veena’s heart. She said, “It is my home and I will never need permission to come into my home.” She denied that she is getting back with cricketer Mohammad Asif and said, “currently I am single, and enjoying my freedom and work.” As cricket goes, for Veena, a ‘final’ is when India and Pakistan play. She was cheering for Pakistan during the recent T20, but was equally happy to see India win because both countries are equally important to her. Veena’s album Drama Queen is still under production, and her future projects include Dirty Picture: Silk Sakkath Manga and Super Model. She has completed Zindagi 50-50. According to Veena, Zindagi 50-50 will create another controversy but Veena reiterated, “I know my limits”. |
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