If all goes well, Bollywood will soon play a cricket match with Pakistani actors.
The match is likely to be held in December or January if cleared by the government of India.
Speaking to rediff.com, actor Suniel Shetty said, "Representatives of the Imran Khan hospital approached us to play a cricket match to raise funds. We agreed. The only condition we put was that 50 per cent of the revenue generated should go to the IIFA. Now, we are waiting for clearance from the government."
The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) was constituted in 2000. One of the purposes of its annual Awards ceremony was to generate revenue for the workers of film fraternity.
Asked why the need for clearance from the government, Shetty said, "It is better to get clearance. We don't want to get into controversy later. Nowadays, if someone comes from Dubai to shop for a pair of jeans, he is looked at with suspicion. So prevention is better than cure."
He said he did not speak with Imran Khan when the cricketer was in Mumbai recently for the Wisden Awards. "Actually, we are in touch with his [
Khan's] representative. He is coordinating with me on this," added Shetty.
When told to comment about his opinion on Indo-Pak relations, Shetty said, "I think there should be peace between India and Pakistan. Peace will be the best thing for both countries."
Shetty explained, "My wife [
Mana] is a Muslim. We all live with my parents. We celebrate Id, Diwali and every other festival.
"Everyone should try and bride the gap between the two countries and look to a bright future. I am also looking forward to a match between India and Pakistan in Lahore. If that happens I will go there to watch the match."
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If all goes well, Bollywood will soon play a cricket match with Pakistani actors.