Kumail Nanjiani grew up in Pakistan, and now works in Hollywood. (Photo: Kumail Nanjiani/Instagram)
Until a few years ago, a cricket match between India and Pakistan was a major global event. While millions around the world still watch it with the same intensity, for actor Kumail Nanjiani, it is not the same anymore. Kumail, who now works in Hollywood, grew up in Pakistan and in a recent chat with Hasan Minhaj on his YouTube channel, he recalled the days when the India-Pakistan matches had a feeling of “brotherhood” which seems to be lost now. He also spoke about how the sentiment of “nationalism” has seeped into the culture of Indian and Pakistani films.
“I think what was cool about India-Pakistan matches, which isn’t so true anymore – one, we were two of the best teams in the world, now Pakistan is not that great and India is the best in the world. But also, the big thing about the India-Pakistan matches was that our countries did not get along but the people did. We are the same people, the same culture, the same language. So when we played cricket, you really felt the similarities rather than the differences and I feel like there was a brotherhood vibe to India-Pakistan matches,” he shared, as Hasan wondered about the appeal of the game. Hasan’s family is from India but he was born in the US.
When Hasan wondered if there was hate around the matches, Kumail clarified that this wasn’t the case as the players actually respected each other, and were friends. “It was not hatred. There was real respect. Those players respected each other and were friends with each other. There would be heated whatever… But I remember watching these matches that yeah, we are all the same people. I never felt like those teams did not like each other. It is different now,” he said.
Kumail then spoke about the India-Pakistan matches in September where the Indian players refused to shake hands with the Pakistani players. “India refused to shake hands with the Pakistan team and I find that to be such a shame because sport is the one time when we can actually put everything aside and play,” he said.
Talking about Bollywood movies, Kumail said that older Hindi films always had a “good Muslim guy” but that has now been taken over by “antagonism and animosity.” “Earlier, in Bollywood movies, there were Muslim characters who were also good guys. Like Amar Akbar Anthnony, a Hindu guy, a Muslim guy and a Christian guy and they are all brothers, that was always the thing. I feel like now, in Bollywood, and even in Pakistani movies, there seems to be a lot of antagonism and animosity and nationalism in a way that, I think, isn’t helpful,” he said and added, “It was always that the people of India and Pakistan are the same, it’s the governments that have issues, and now I feel like that has changed.”
Talking about the tensions between the countries that took place earlier this year, Kumail said that he was talking to his family members in the middle of the night as they live in Karachi and things were getting really rough there. He shared that he felt “incredible sadness” and “fear” as it felt like there was no progress being made. “It’s really tough also because India is so much more powerful than Pakistan in terms of… economically, cultural impact and all that stuff. I mean India is doing well and Pakistan has had challenges,” he said.
Kumail is best known for his work in Silicon Valley, The Big Sick, Eternals, among others.