Nimrat Kaur's Homeland Runs Into Trouble With Pakistan Officials

Currently Season 4 of the globally-watched American TV series - Homeland - is flying off the shelves from the few DVD rental libraries which survive in Indian cities.

What's startling about the season is the performance of The Lunchbox actress, Nimrat Kaur, in the part of an officer from Pakistan's ISI. She is portrayed as cruel and merciless without any redeeming qualities whatsoever. Mass killings and a diabolical disposition are her calling card in the series.



Pakistan's politicians and officer have expressed their dismay categorically about the Season 4 episodes. Severe objections have been taken to the representation of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, as a "grimy hell-hole and war zone where shootouts and bombs go off with dead bodies scattered around. Nothing could be far from the truth."

Reports have claimed that Pakistan's authorities are "peeved" about showing the country "run by a double-dealing regime overrun by Islamic terrorists."

Fortunately, Nimrat, who has played the hard-as-nails ISI officer Tasneem Qureshi, has escaped from the controversy unscathed. In fact, earlier this year she was awarded a certificate by America's Screen Actors Guild, honouring her Homeland performance. Plus, she has stated in an interview that she has amassed a fan following who "love to hate" her.

It's not the first time that a Mumbai-based actress has played the part of a Pakistani woman involved in espionage. Katrina Kaif played that in Ek Tha Tiger but went soft when her heart melted for Salman Khan - in the movie that is.

33-year-old Nimrat did take a big risk of being detested as an ISI officer. Surprisingly, though, her venomous performance has gone on to increase her international equity. At home, of course, she has only one Bollywood assignment Airlift - set against the backdrop of the Gulf War in 1990 -- opposite Akshay Kumar. And that's it.