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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
Entertainment
Fatima Bhutto

Bollywood is obsessed with Pakistan. We’d be flattered if it weren’t so nasty

people cheer in street
Fans of Shah Rukh Khan celebrate the release of Pathaan in Kolkata on 25 January. Photograph: Sankhadeep Banerjee/NurPhoto/Rex/Shutterstock

If recent Bollywood films are any indication, it is fair to say that India’s film industry is obsessed with Pakistan. Obsessed. Like standing outside your apartment and trying to peek through your windows at night with binoculars obsessed.

If the films were smarter or more daring, Pakistan might be flattered. Instead, we are beginning to be mildly confused by all the attention.

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