In the past few years Pakistan and India have produced numerous dramas and films together but according to a recent Gallup survey the support for such combined media production has fallen since 2007. According to survey, 26 percent support the idea of Pakistani artists working in India down from 51 percent support in 2007.
Similarly, 27 percent are in favour of Indian artists working in Pakistan down from 55 percent in 2007. The main reason for this change in attitude is increasing security tension between the two neighbouring countries. A nationally representative sample of men and women across the country were asked recently, India and Pakistan have started to produce dramas and films together. Some people favour Pakistani artists working in India, while others oppose it. What is your view point?'
Majority of the respondents 44 percent claimed that they do not favour it, 26 percent would prefer Pakistani artists working in India, whereas 30 percent are unsure. It is seen that a significantly higher percentage of urbanites 40 percent favour such combined productions, as compared to their rural counterparts of 19 percent.
To understand whether people are open to Indian artists working in Pakistan, the respondents were asked 'some people favour Indian artists working in Pakistan, while others oppose it. What is your view point?' Once again the majority 43 percent did not support Indian artists working in Pakistan, 27 percent favoured, whereas 30 percent were unsure.
Half of all respondents from rural areas 50 percent oppose Indian artists working in Pakistan. The data reveals that support for combined productions is slightly higher among the young under the age of 30, as 29 percent of them support it. This compared with 23 percent of support among those over the age of 30.
In 2007, when relations between the two countries were better, opposition to Pakistanis working in India was just as high, 46 percent. However, support was in majority at 51 percent. Similarly, for Indian artists working in Pakistan opposition was the same at 44 percent, but support was high at 55 percent.
Since then political tension between the two countries have escalated mainly after the Mumbai attacks in November 2008, titling much of the support for joint cultural production not into direct opposition but towards more uncertainty, which is evident from the recent 30 percent unsure response in both questions. The survey was carried out among a sample of 2,687 men and women in rural and urban areas of all four provinces of the country, in January 2009.
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