Anoop Jalota support Ghulam Ali's decision to stay away from India
As far as ghazal singer Anoop Jalota is concerned, Pakistan's ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali's decision to stay away from India is the need of the hour.
Speaking on Ghulam Ali's decision to cancel his concerts in India, Anoop Jalota said, "He is following my decision. I never sang in Pakistan, never did concerts there as a matter of policy. Now, he has decided to stay away from India out of fear after singing here for the last 35 years without any mishaps."
Anoop Jalota's sarcasm is not misplaced.
A lot of musicians in the Indian entertainment industry feel the atmosphere in India is not conducive to a freewheeling give-and-take of talent.
For every Gulzar who has visited Pakistan and come back raving over the hospitality, there is an Anoop Jalota who thinks it's unwise to cross the border when there is so much hostility between the two countries.
Anoop Jalota says he had many opportunities to visit Pakistan which he declined.
"I was invited many times and granted visa. Why should I go and sing for the country where they run factories for creating terror? After those bomb blasts in Mumbai, I cancelled my concerts in India and North America which I was doing with Ghulam Alisaab. Bal Thackerayji was very impressed and and always appreciated my policy. My wife Medha was also very much against me performing in Pakistan."
However, Pakistanis, who love Anoop Jalota's music, are welcome to visit India to enjoy his music.
"Last month, 100 Pakistanis organised a concert in Nagpur and enjoyed my music," he says.
