No Pakistanis please!

BREAKING NEWS

No Pakistanis please!

Film maker and Director of Karafilm Festival, Hasan Zaidi thrown out of a Mumbai Hotel

Hasan Zaidi, who is in Mumbai for his latest film, was reportedly asked to leave the Juhu Plaza Hotel, after he produced his Pakistani passport.

He said the staff was courteous to him but told him it was hotel policy not to allow Pakistanis in. "They offered to find me another hotel. I was a little surprised because I have been to India quite a number of times and have never faced such a situation," he told news agencies.

"It sends out a bad message and I think it was a more embarrassing experience for the hotel than for me," he added. "The booking was done by my producer Sevvy Ali and I drove straight from the airport to the hotel. When I went to my room, I got a call from the reception asking me about my nationality. On realising that I was a Pakistani, they told me the hotel did not give accommodation to Pakistanis and Bangladeshis as a policy." Zaidi's producer then shifted him to Sun-n-Sand hotel nearby.

"All this media attention is a little embarrassing but it would help if they think twice before doing this to someone else," he said.

"We are careful about these things, look at all the bomb blasts happening, who knows who comes from where?" said General Manager, Hotel Juhu Plaza, I Krishnamurthy. However, an unconditional apology was made out to the film maker by the hotel management who clarified that "it was a mistake by the person at the desk and it is not their policy to refuse entry to the hotel on the basis of nationality."

Hasan Zaidi has been organizing the Karafilm Festival for years, in which quite a few films are showcased and many Indians from Bollywood's film fraternity have been brought on board. Other than his involvement with Kara, he is a well reputed film maker as well as a journalist. He is acting very civilized about the incident commenting that, "I don't really mind, but it certainly sends out a wrong message to people across the border." However had it been anyone else, the hotel could have been sued in court.

Film director Mahesh Bhatt, who has been a keen supporter of Kara and a regular at the festival, says that he is planning to take up the issue with the Home Minister and the Chief Minister.

Speaking to Mumbai Newsline Bhatt said, "Such an incident is very unfortunate at the time when we are talking about globalisation and confidence-building measures with Pakistan."

He added, "Hasan was not willing to share this incident with the media, but I insisted that he do so. People should come to know about such unfortunate incidents happening in our city. These things should not go unnoticed."

Still in India, Hasan Zaidi was unavailable to Instep for comment at the time of this report.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/instep_today.asp