"Khuda Ke Liye", the first Pakistani film to have hit Indian theatres in nearly 43 years might have got rave reviews in India, but back home its lead actor says he missed film's Mumbai premiere because no red carpet was rolled out for the stars.

Actor Shan missed the film's premiere on April 3, upsetting director Shoaib Mansoor.

Mansoor, who attended the premiere along with the lead actress Iman Ali, recently spilled his bitterness over the inadequate presence of Pakistani stars in India for what was a "historic occasion".

"Does Shan not know he's the main character of the film and that everybody here is praising his performance to the hilt? Shouldn't he have been here with us?" Mansoor told the media in Lahore on his return from India.

But Shan has a different take on the issue. "There was no red carpet rolled out for your film's stars. So why crib about them not being there?" he told the local media, which believe the film has given a boost to his career and he should have put his ego aside to attend the premiere.

Both Shan and Fawad Khan, who have key roles in the film, stayed away from the premiere.

Ali too has been vocal about the protagonists giving the premiere a miss.

As for Fawad Khan, he claimed he was tied up with "personal work" and therefore missed the event.

"For one thing, I didn't want to attend the premiere because I thought it wasn't worth the hassle. I mean look at the way in which they held the event. This was an occasion that was going to make history; it should have been planned that big," Shan told Instep.

"How could they do it with a crowd of just three-four people and a routine showing? There wasn't anything grand about it.

"Agreed that the film has become a milestone in my career and that we're getting rave reviews but again if you understand the importance of your stars, then you'd better give them their due," Shan said.

"See here (in Pakistan) what happens is that we don't honour our stars the way the Indians do. If Time (magazine) wants to print the face of India on its cover, India offers Aishwarya's picture. What do we do with our stars?" he asked.

Fawad Khan also rejected claims by Mansoor that he did not have a valid passport. "That's a complete farce. I was in India only a month back getting lab work done for my home production 'Zille Shah' and my visa is still valid," he said.

Shan has reportedly been unhappy with the film's promos too. "Yes, I had issues. Why should there be just one fleeting image of mine when I play the lead? They show a good number of images of Iman. Isn't that something I should object to?" he asked.