In a year where entertainment often feels like an extension of regional politics, Imran Abbas decided to draw a line in the sand. Recently, the actor, who has balanced a career in both the Pakistani and Indian film industries, released a searing public statement that shifted the conversation from box office numbers to the moral weight of storytelling.
Art as a Weapon vs. Art as a Bridge
Abbas’s critique was leveled directly at the Bollywood spy thriller Dhurandhar, which has dominated the 2025 winter movie season. While the film’s high-octane production has earned it global ticket sales, Abbas argued that its content serves a much darker purpose.
He accused the filmmakers of transforming the silver screen into a “vehicle for hatred and division.” For Abbas, the film isn’t just a fictional spy story; it’s a “dangerous misuse of cinema” that trades in prejudice and hostility.
He wrote that while “hatred dressed up as art” might generate massive profits, it leaves behind cultural and social scars. In his view, cinema should “uplift hearts” and “awaken empathy,” rather than being used to “poison minds” under the guise of entertainment.
A Mirror to the Audience
Perhaps the most controversial part of Abbas’s stance was his direct call-out of Pakistani viewers who have been praising the film. Abbas described the domestic applause for the movie as “truly shameful.” He argued that finding entertainment in a narrative that demeans your own nation isn’t “open-mindedness”, it’s a loss of dignity.
He challenged his followers to imagine the reverse: if a Pakistani film were to release a similar anti-India narrative, Indian society would (rightly) reject it entirely. To him, accepting a “slap in the face” as “entertainment” signals a collapse of moral clarity.
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The Impact: A Call for Responsibility
Abbas’s words resonated because they touched on a broader 2025 trend: the increasing politicization of cinema. He reminded his peers and the public that what we normalize on screen eventually “settles into our collective conscience.”
By speaking out, Abbas repositioned the actor not just as a performer, but as a guardian of cultural integrity. His message was clear: in an era of deep polarization, artists carry a heavy ethical responsibility to build bridges rather than walls.
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