Pakistani flag hoisted on Indian soil — for Bollywood movie

A still from the upcoming Bollywood movie 'Bharat' featuring Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif. (Photo courtesy: @BharatMovie2019/Facebook)

• Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif’s latest film ruffles feathers with set design
• Indian citizens register displeasure with filmmakers

ISLAMABAD: Bollywood star Salman Khan and controversy are old friends. They’re back in tandem as filming for Khan’s latest movie “Bharat” required the construction of a replica of the Wagah Border, meaning that a Pakistani flag had to be flown on the Indian soil. 
The film, which co-stars Katrina Kaif, was not able to shoot at the actual Wagah border due to security reasons, which lead to the location being replicated for scenes in the film.
Wagah is the borderline between Pakistan and India’s Punjab where visitors can peep into their neighbors’ land through the iconic gates and witness the daily “Beating Retreat” ceremony.
With director Ali Abbas Zafar unable to secure the necessary permission to film at Wagah itself, they recreated the location at a village further along the border in India. 
As the set was constructed, with it rose Pakistan’s flag and a collective gasp. Reports state that locals were “displeased” with the flag being raised.
There has been no comment yet from Khan or Zafar, nor from co-star Katrina Kaif. Filming at the border has reportedly wrapped, with the cast and crew returning to Mumbai. 
On November 16, Zafar posted a photo of the two stars on set on his official Instagram account.