Veteran actress Shabana Azmi says she supports Anupam Kher after he was denied a visa to Pakistan to attend the Karachi literary festival.
Shabana, 65, said her husband and noted lyricist Javed Akhtar had faced similar situation in the past.
"Some years ago Javed Akhtar, chair of delegation to Pakistan was denied a visa. Organiser cancelled the entire trip... I stand with Anupam Kher if he was denied visa," she posted on twitter.
Kher, 60, who said he has been denied a Pakistani visa for the third time, was one of the 18 Indians invited to the four-day KLF starting Friday by the organisers and all of them including senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid and actor Nandita Das but excluding the actor were granted the visa.
The Pakistan High Commission in Delhi said Kher had never submitted visa application and so the question of issuing or denying him visa does not arise.
On Bollywood's focus on box office numbers and constant
buzz surrounding 'Rs 100 crore club', the "Masoom" actress says that chasing box-office figures can be pressurising for an actor but is something which can be controlled if the male star lowers his remuneration.
"Box office is definitely a pressure. But it is not artificial because it depends on the budget. Not all films need to make 100 crore for them to be successful. It really is in proportion to the budget of the film. If an actor is going to charge the moon then he better guarantee that he is going to return that money."
Citing an example of filmmaker actor Raj Kapoor, Azmi said an actor lowering his fees is in the best interest of the film.
"Look at directors like Raj Kapoor in the past. If they made a film which didn't meet the box office expectations then in the next film they took a huge cut from the distributor. Because you have to guard the health of your career, and industry," she said.
Commenting on the issue of pay inequality in the film industry, Azmi said it is the male star who brings in the money so they should also help actresses by working in women oriented cinema.
"Pay inequality is completely determined by the fact that it is the male actor who brings in the money. Plain and simple. And that's why I am saying once in a while they should give a lift to a woman centred film by agreeing to do it just the way the women do. That would be healthy.
