Naeema Butt, known for her fiery role as Rubab in Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum, wants to work in Bollywood but there’s only one problem, she has a Pakistani passport.
In a recent interview, she revealed a string of offers from Indian films, dramas, and OTT platforms—offers that might as well be fairy tales, given India’s extremist-led regime that would rather burn bridges than let a Pakistani artist step foot on its soil.
“I’ve been offered some amazing projects from India, but my passport says I’m not welcome,” Naeema Butt stated, her words dripping with the naivety of someone who thinks talent can trump politics.
India’s current leadership, obsessed with its hardline agenda, has made it crystal clear: Pakistani artists are persona non grata, banned since 2016 in a petty display of cultural nationalism that prioritizes hate over art.
Rather than work on ambitious projects in Pakistan, Naeema clings to a laughable sliver of hope, flaunting her American green card like it’s a magic wand. “I’m hopeful things will change,” she said, as if a green card could erase the venom of a government that thrives on exclusion.
For Naeema, who’s also shone in Ehd-e-Wafa and Jindo, the dream of sharing screen space with Bollywood’s elite is a cruel mirage. India’s extremist rulers have no use for her talent, and her green card is just a shiny trinket in a game rigged against her.
