Pakistan's Movie Star: Meera seeks Police Protection

LOLLYWOOD star Meera has asked the government for protection on Wednesday after receiving death threats for reportedly filming a kiss in a Bollywood movie.

Meera said that she had been targeted by "extremist elements" and added that she had done nothing to be ashamed of in the film.

"I have received life threats," a tearful Meera told a foreign news agency from the Indian city of Mumbai where she is working on the project, called "Nazar".

"I want protection. I want protection for me, my family. I want President Pervez Musharraf to ensure the safety of my family." Her father Sarwar said: "Yes, some people came, but we don’t want to make an issue out of it."

The young star has faced a media onslaught in her home country for what is said to be an 'obscene' act.

Last week anonymous culture ministry officials were quoted as saying that they could even impose a heavy fine on her. However, Culture Minister Muhammad Ali Durrani said his department was not involved.

"No action was ever contemplated at the ministry against Meera," he said.

Meera said that unidentified people had threatened her family in Pakistan and accused her of performing an 'obscene' act.

"I have not done anything in the movie which contravenes the norms of society I come from," she said, without directly denying that the film shows her kissing her Indian co-star.

Meera said that she had received fresh threat calls and demanded police protection in Pakistan.

"I need protection. I cannot go back without police protection. I want the Pakistani Government to assure me of protection when I return home following the renewed threat calls," she told the agency.

"I do not know who is behind all these calls. But the calls refer to the film Nazar and always demand to know why I behaved in such a manner and performed a 'vulgar' scene in the film Nazar," Meera said.

"Though the calls do not spell out what they would do if I return, they (calls) are all intimidating. The callers also clearly tell me that I should not return to Pakistan and that I was better off staying in India and working here [in Bombay]..

"They also claim that I am better suited to work in India and should not try to return home," Meera said expressing suspicion that the calls could be a fall out of professional jealousy.●