Fifteen-year-old Aquib Khan, a British-Pakistani boy, couldn't join the cast and crew of the Om Puri-starrer West Is West for the Indian premiere of the film, thanks to visa trouble that set fog on all the attempts to get the boy in the country.
Says a source, "The makers of movie were very keen to get AK, who plays Sajjid Khan in WIW, to India. Besides Om, the boy is the face of the film.
The producer went all out to make the required arrangements for him to be in Mumbai a week before the film's Indian release.
To their horror, they discovered that the child's Pakistani antecedents stood in the way of his entry in the country."
When asked about the issue, WIW producer Leslee Udwin guardedly said, "We did have visa issues to get Aquib here. It is sad. He was really keen to be here.
He was looking forward to visiting the country for the first time. We chose him after auditioning nearly 200 boys!
He is a remarkably inquisitive actor. We did eventually manage to get his visa issue sorted. But by then it was too late."
Visa Blues
Aquib Khan is not the first actor-entertainer of Pakistani origin to face visa issues. Many artists from across the border faced No Entry signs:
Ghulam Ali: the maestro was denied permission after 26/11
Rahet Fateh Ali Khan: Recorded songs on the internet for Indian films
Sonia Jehan: Denied visa to travel abroad for Abhinay Deo's Game although married to an Indian
Ali Zafar: struggling to get a permanent visa
Mikaal Zulfiker: Pakistani-British actor played pivotal part in Jagmohan Mundhra's Shoot On Sight, was denied visa to come to India to act in Mundhra's next
Veena Malik: gets restricted visa entry, can't travel all over the country
Zeba Bhaktiar: shot for Randhir Kapoor's Henna and then played hookey on a couple of Bollywood projects, reportedly for visa reasons
