This student from Pakistan fell in love with Marathi Cinema and lavani

A still from Sairat, which was the fourth Marathi film Iqbal watched. Inset: Sarmad Iqbal

While on the one hand artistes across the border continue to find it challenging to explore their careers in India, especially Maharashtra, here's one of their own who appears to have lived half his life adoring Marathi cinema. Meet Sarmad Iqbal, a 21-year-old from Lahore whose blog post on his love for Marathi cinema has made him social media's darling. Twitterati has showered him with love and invites to India, and even made pleas to the government to grant him Indian citizenship. Given the volatile sentiments that both countries are often known to reserve for each other, Iqbal is overwhelmed by the warmth. An undergraduate majoring in Economics and Political Science, it took him a while to get vocal about this unconventional passion.

In his own words, he comes from a country where most people don't even know what Maharashtra is. When he was 10, Iqbal was introduced to the state through reality dance shows like Jhalak Dikhlaja and Nach Baliye, where he encountered lavani for the first time. "I also saw bhangra and dance forms of the Dakshin, but I was most enthralled by lavani," he tells us in an email interview, adding, "I loved listening to the lyrics, even though I didn't understand them. I would try to shake a leg sometimes. I think there's no one on this planet who would not be prompted to get up and dance when a peppy Marathi song plays." Copious amounts of Googling led him to "Maharashtra", the Marathas, the Marathi language and so on. He read up on the history of the foreign rule over Maharashtra.

"I was intrigued to know the journey of Mumbai, from Bom Baim during the Portuguese era, which means 'a little bay', to Mumbai, named after Mumbadevi. I even looked up terms like mulga, mulgi, chhaan, aai, that I would hear often on these shows," Iqbal tells us. Having been on a diet of superhit Marathi songs - Vaishali Samant's Aika Dajiba and Apsara Ali from Natrang are among the many examples he cites - he moved to Marathi cinema to "quench his thirst for the language". "Had there been no Marathi cinema, Marathi wouldn't have held the same significance for me. I was 14 when I saw Natrang and I was blown over by Sonali Kulkarni, Amruta Khanvilkar and of course, the genius of Atul Kulkarni," Iqbal says. The boy could chant names in his sleep. "I discovered Pune in Mumbai-Pune-Mumbai, especially Tulsi Baug. In the Sandeep Kulkarni-starrer Dombivali Fast, I saw unjust social practices that are prevalent in my country too. The fourth film I watched was Sairat, which broke my heart. I cannot pick a favourite."

Iqbal calls himself a polyglot, who speaks both Urdu and Punjabi besides English, fluent Turkish, Spanish and a wee bit of Marathi now. Both his paternal and maternal grandparents migrated to Pakistan from India in 1947. "My maternal grandparents were Urdu speaking muhajirs from Uttar Pradesh, while my paternal ones were Punjabis from Amritsar. So, I'd say I'm of mixed origin. However, instead of Punjabi, it's a mix of Urdu and English that we speak at home," he says. Yes, Iqbal watches Bollywood too - he calls himself a "PC maniac and a Ranbirian". "As much I enjoy Bollywood films, I have always felt they don't show India's diversity to its full extent. It's mostly focused around North Indian sensibilities, and even when they do have protagonists from other parts of India, barring a few exceptions, they tend to get stereotyped. So, a viewer like me may not get an honest picture. That's the reason I am drawn to regional cinema, which is Marathi in this case," he explains.

An India visit is at the top of his wishlist, and Mumbai will be his first stop. "I have only seen the city in films. I dream of visiting the Gateway of India and walking on Marine Drive. I want to go everywhere from Colaba to Haji Ali dargah, to Bandra and Juhu. I call it [Mumbai] South Asia's New York and LA, all rolled into one. I want to take blessings from Ganpati Bappa at Siddhivinayak Temple; I've read that he's the remover of all obstacles." Why did it take him so long to express his love for Marathi cinema? "Indophobia is as common in Pakistan and vice versa. I have always desired that there be peace between us neighbours, and one day, I hope there shall be. But, I think I have enough zeal in me to do something that bridges the gap in the little way I can. So, that's why I went ahead and expressed myself to my heart's content. And look at all that love! I just want to say 'abhari ahe'."

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