India and Pakistan: Affinities beyond map lines

Looking at a range of cultural themes in India and Pakistan — from food to cinema to comedy and romance

The distance between two places isn’t measured in kilometres, or by the length of time it takes to get there, or even by the ease of travel by air or rail or road. It’s about the distance in our minds, the gulf that widens or narrows by the stories we tell about each other, and in the red tape that one has to untangle to traverse it. For any Indian who has travelled abroad, and has met another South Asian, there’s often an immediate sense of fellowship, a knowledge that you can slip into shared cultural references. Yet, Pakistan and India are neighbours who love to hate each other — in popular media, in politics, and on the cricket ground.