MUMBAI: The overtures towards friendship between India and Pakistan are being echoed in the Hindi film industry with top Bollywood stars rejecting movies that bash India's traditional rival and neighbour.

Leading the bandwagon of stars who want peace between the two nuclear rivals are box office superstars Shahrukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Bobby Deol, joined by a host of other industry players.

Khan's latest release "Veer-Zaara", a love story between an Indian Air Force pilot and a Pakistani girl, has topped Bollywood box office sales for the past month and he says it reflects his resolve to oppose country-bashing films.

"'Veer-Zaara' does not indulge in Pakistan-bashing," Khan said. "I have never done films which indulge in country-bashing. It is good for peace and mankind that there is no tension between India and Pakistan."

A series of historic diplomatic moves followed former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's offer for talks to Pakistan. For Khan, "Veer-Zaara" is a second attempt to highlight the growing relations between the two nations.

The first was "Main Hoon Naa" (I Am There), released in early 2004, which depicts an Indian military officer fighting militants from his own country attempting to derail peace moves with Pakistan.

The movie has been one of the biggest hits of 2004, with critics claiming it is a true reflection of improved relations between the two countries. Khan is not alone in his stance: a series of concerts from Bollywood are being organised across the border, Pakistani stars are bagging roles in Bollywood films and vice-versa, and Indian films are being screened at Pakistani festivals.

Pakistan's film industry, called Lollywood, has also not been slow in promoting peace with a joint production by the two South Asian rivals, "Nazar" (Sight), set to be released next month featuring a leading actress from Pakistan.

Also in favour of working for peace is macho actor Indian Akshay Kumar, who stars in an action film called "Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Sathiyo" (Now The Country Is In Your Hands, Friends) as a prisoner of war held in captivity for three years by Pakistani forces.

He insists the film is not against Pakistan. "The film is about the two countries and their joint fight against terrorism," he said, pointing out that it includes scenes where Pakistani soldiers help Indians during the revered Hindu pilgrimage to the Amarnath temple in the Himalayan mountains.

"There are true incidents where the two armies have jointly caught drug dealers and we have just expanded these details in the movie," Kumar said. "I would not act in a film that will hurt Pakistan. We should try not to ignite the problem, but solve it and concentrate on friendship. Based on that, I decided to work in this film."

Kumar's co-star, Bobby Deol, shares the pro-Pakistan sentiment. "I cannot say this film is anti-Pakistan. This film talks of how relations with Pakistan are changing since 1971 and how now friendship is at its peak," Deol said. "The message of the film is ... 'Look, why are we fighting? Let us fight people who are creating tensions and rifts between us'." -AFP