Did Paresh Rawal make an about face on working in Pakistani films, TV shows in 24 hours?

“Yes, I would love to work in Pakistani films and shows. I love all Pakistani TV serials like Humsafar, the way they act, the story, the writing, the language…it’s all good. I feel our shows are boring,” Paresh Rawal recently told PTI .

“I never said I want to work in Pakistani films, neither it is my wish. I want to categorically state this. I just said that I liked Pakistan’s TV serial Humsafar, but never said ours are boring. I only said ours are a little slow,” Paresh Rawal then told ANI .

So what’s really the truth about Rawal’s statement?

One could argue that with his statements on cultural offerings from across the border, Rawal is just looking to make some headlines. His last big movie was Welcome Back in 2015, after all.

More recently, he’s also been in the news for his controversial remarks over author Arundhati Roy, where he suggested that she should be tied to an Army jeep to deter stone pelters in Kashmir.

It’s an irony of sorts that Rawal attacked Roy for purportedly making statements on Kashmir — that were later proved to be nothing more than fake news  — only to find himself in a situation where he feels he’s been misquoted.

Rawal, in his earlier statement to PTI had stressed on how he felt that artistes and cricketers were not the ones that threw bombs over the border — that they were in fact a bridge between the two countries.

Rawal’s prompt clarification of his earlier statement could be because he fears being branded ‘anti-nationalist’ — a potentially troubling situation when he has three films lined up for release: Hera Pheri 3, Manto and Guest Iin London.

Hopefully, Rawal’s decided what his final sentiments on the issue are.

— With inputs from agencies