"If I urinate on the border, the whole of Pakistan will be flooded," declared a die-hard patriotic Indian soldier in Tinu Verma's Maa Tujhe Salaam, which was released in 2002.

Come 2004 and Yash Chopra made an emotional plea for Indo-Pak peace through a moving love story between an Indian army officer and an affluent Pakistani girl in Veer Zaara. In the film, an Indian youth praised a Pakistani mother, and a Pakistani lawyer, in a packed courtroom, heaped lavish praises on an Indian convict.

The changed rhetoric in Veer Zaara is a paradigm shift from the anti-Pak tirade unleashed in movies like Gadar, Indian and Hero. The neo-nationalist sentiment opposed to jingoism is, infact, the current flavour of Bollywood and the passing years' two releases Swades and Main Hoon Na, both Shahrukh Khan starrers, are good examples of this trend.

Main Hoon Na showed the central protagonist aiming for friendship and peace between India and Pakistan, while fighting against cross-border terrorism. Swades highlighted the problems present at the grass-root level in India, without the central characters badmouthing either Pakistan or America.

It seems that the mood of friendship prevailing presently between the rival neighbouring countries has had a positive impact on the Bollywood directors, and they seem keener than ever to make films with peace between Indo-Pak as the focus.

"There was a surge of nationalism after India completed 50 years of independence, and films with anti-Pak themes was a kind of follow up of the celebratory mood and national pride. Pak-bashing also became a kind of fashion in movies," said Aruna Vasudev, a renowned film critic and editor of film magazine Cinemaya.

"But I am very glad now that the jingoistic trend is changing and there are more positive films on Indo-Pak relations. Infact, a 'bhai-bhai' sentiment can be seen among people in India and Pakistan. If people of both countries get together through cultural exchanges, art and cinema, then governments will be forced to act and come up something good and beneficial," she added.

The fact that Indo-Pak relation is on an all-time high cannot be denied. The goodwill cricket series played on Pakistan soil, where the host country's crowd cheered the victorious Indian team was an unforgettable and touching experience for Indian people who enjoyed the warmth and hospitality of Pakistanis. The bilateral talks and cultural exchanges followed, further cementing the 'friendship wave'.

ZEE Cine Awards in Dubai made a genuine effort to provide a platform for cultural exchange between Bollywood and Lollywood (Pakistan film industry).

Moreover, two Indian films Rog and White Noise was premiered at the Karachi Film Festival in 2004, and even got rave reviews from Pakistani critics.

Anil Sharma of Gadar fame toned down the loud jingoistic rhetoric of his latest Film, Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyon, probably, to appease the public which is now viewing Indo-Pak relations in a different and more rational light altogether.

A movie titled Vande Matram was also shelved recently because the script was full of Pak-bashing dialogues. Raman Kumar, the director of forthcoming flick Sarhad Paar too decided to incorporate certain changes in the film in the light of warming Indo-Pak relations. The producers of the movie are also reportedly planning to add a song by the Pakistani music band 'Josh' in the film as a goodwill gesture.

So, the showbiz scenario in India seems to be moving in a positive direction to heal the wounds of history.

"Our films suffer from over-dramatisation, which is a mainstream trend. But the directors make the film to sell it. So an opponent is necessary, and our history of animosity with Pakistan makes it convenient for directors to brand them as enemy No.1. But winds of change can be seen now and it is indeed a positive signal," said Mike Pandey, a famous wildlife filmmaker.

Hope the cordial mood between India and Pakistan continues in the coming years, and inspires Bollywood directors to make meaningful cinema that attempts to bridge the wide gap between 'them' and 'us'.