Three wars and many skirmishes between Pakistan and India haven't diminished the love for Hindi cinema on this side of the border, nor for Pakistani music across the border. The growth of Hindi cinema has remained an attraction for many Pakistani actors, while Pakistan's homegrown music, from individual artists to its biggest export, Coke Studio, hasn’t deterred Indian singers from covering songs in their own style. But it is one thing to know who has made it in India from Pakistan and vice versa, and quite another to know who has tried but hasn’t succeeded due to one reason or another. Let’s test your knowledge of what could’ve been….

1. Which Indian artist recorded for Coke
Studio 4 but was never featured in the season when it went on air?

a) A.R Rahman

b) Lucky Ali

c) Kailash Kher

d) Rabbi Shergill

2. According to multiple reports, which Pakistani actor was suggested by Deepika Padukone for the film Padmavaat, to its director Sanjay Leela Bhansali for the role of one of the male leads?

a) Atif Aslam

b) Fawad Khan

c) Imran Abbas

d) Humayun Saeed

3. From the following names, which Pakistani artist almost made it to Hindi cinema and was going to be launched by Yash Raj Films before Uri attacks made artistic cultural exchange impossible?

a) Imran Abbas

b) Wahaj Ali

c) Danyal Zafar

d) Hania Aamir

4. Which Indian singer covered an original Coke Studio song and earned severe backlash for it?

a) Arijit Singh

b) Diljit Dosanjh

c) Armaan Malik

d) Sonu Nigam

Answers

1. d) The correct answer is Rabbi Shergill, who was delayed by visa issues and arrived at the eleventh hour. He managed to record for Coke Studio 4. However, co-executive producer, Rohail Hyatt revealed that Rabbi Shergill was not featured in the season because he felt the show hadn’t been able to do justice to his music.

2. b) According to reports, Deepika Padukone suggested that Fawad Khan could deliver as one of the male leads, and it was a role the actor had started preparing for. Sparks flew between Fawad Khan and Deepika Padukone during the IIFA Awards in 2016, held in Spain, where they also walked the ramp for a Manish Malhotra fashion show, confirming strong chemistry as well as personal affability. However, due to political instability, the onscreen pairing of the two actors never came to fruition.

3. c) Danyal Zafar was going to be announced as one of the new faces to be launched by Yash Raj Films and was set to feature in a Habib Faisal film. He spent at least two months in India, but on the day of the announcement, the political tension had deteriorated to the point that he was replaced. Even his family didn’t think it would have been a good idea to send him back.

4. a) Arijit Singh, one of India’s most popular singers, managed to divide fans and received flak from Pakistani fans when he decided to cover Coke Studio 14’s original song, ‘Pasoori’ by Ali Sethi and Shae Gill. Although Ali Sethi has shown support to the singer (and has even covered an Arijit Singh song in the past), ‘Pasoori’ is a giant, and as new covers emerge, it becomes a matter of whether you find the idea of covering an original song unacceptable or tolerable, as has been the case with music throughout decades.