Indian Artistes and Actors Forum (IAAF) to protest Veena Malik’s Swayamvar

The Indian Artistes and Actors Forum (IAAF) today announced that it strongly protests and condemns the selection of Pakistani starlet Veena Malik for the Swayamvar Reality Show on General Entertainment Channel Imagine. Joining this bandwagon is drama and controversy queen Rakhi Sawant (coincidently one of the first participants on the same show) who has lent her support to the Indian Artistes and Actors Forum (IAAF).

Says Rakhi Sawant, “They (the channel and the production house SOL) could have selected any other woman from India. There are so many controversial or bold and outspoken girls like Sambhavna Seth, Kashmira Shah, Dj Jenny D, Poonam Pandey to name a few. Imagine should have chosen them. There are thousands of girls in India who are trying to get roles in films and Tv. Why have they selected a “sattebaaz” who has ruined the name of her own country. Once was probably ok, but now they are doing it again and again. I strongly condemn this move and join the protest.”

Flynn Remedios, publicist and spokesperson for the IAAF said that the IAAF – an informal body of actors and artistes is not against one individual in particular. “We are not against Veena Malik per se. We are against this trend of selecting foreign artistes for common roles in Indian television and films. When certain politicians raised their voice about this, we gave them the cold shoulder, but now the time has come for every Indian artiste to get up and take a stand. Thousands of Indian girls go through hell trying to get a bit role in a TV serial or a film. These production houses and channels must understand the sentiments and feelings of thousands of Indian artistes. Veena Malik is no great or unique actor or artiste. She is merely an item girl and starlet and is very much replaceable by so many Indian artistes. What is the USP that Veena Malik brings to the show, except for the fact that she is non-Indian. The channel is trying to stir up controversy and increase their own TRPs. We will teach them a lesson that they won’t forget. We will not damage their office or protest like some others have done. We will ask all patriotic Indians and Indian companies to stop watching or supporting Imagine and all other shows on the particular channel and this show in particular. This is our action plan for now. We will also approach the courts at a later date if the channel does not relent.”

 The IAAF has launched a protest on their Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Indian.Artistes.Forum and is in the process of enlisting support online.