Angelina Jolie's visit highlights Bollywood stars absence in Pakistan crisis
Hollywood star Angelina Jolie flew in to Islamabad to issue renewed appeal for relief efforts. With Jolie flying in, what's conspicuous is the apparent silence of Bollywood stars in what Angelina Jolie calls "a humanitarian crisis" in Pakistan.
The United Nations Ambassador recently appeared in a public service announcement to help highlight the effect of massive flooding in the country, but stars from nearby Bollywood is yet to channel their star power to help their neighboring country.
But India had already offered help to Pakistan, with whom it has an on-going border dispute. Pakistan had refused India's offer. This may explain Bollywood's silent treatment of the crisis.
"I can't expect the Bollywood stars to say much," states one novelist from Karachi. "India offered money and Pakistan refused to take it directly, so what can the stars do? Frankly, I don't expect Bollywood hunks and starlets to deliver profound messages."
But Bollywood stars are not the only one to take flak from their silence, even Pakistani stars are drawing criticism from their lack of priority. TV host Nawazish Ali heavily criticized film star Veena Malik.
"It is regrettable that while most Pakistanis are forgetting their differences to get together to help the flood-afflicted people, stars like Veena Malik are wasting their time in settling personal scores in international media," said Malik.