Considering the elite of our country looks down upon the arts and most local performers, it does not come as a surprise. One does frequently see professional dancers at some Pakistani weddings, but they are looked upon as something done in bad taste. It comes from an inherent pomposity against all things desi and relays to music too. As singer Shafqat Amanat Ali once famously said in a TV interview, "We are all considered bhaands and maraasis until we get the stamp of approval from India."

"It was a grand affair," says Yousuf Salahuddin, who adds that "the dances were awful." According to him, on many occasions Lahoris have invited Indian bigwigs to come down and perform at weddings and even birthday parties. Katrina Kaif was recently in Lahore, seen performing in a full stage show set up at a birthday party, but again, it was a show very poorly put together. We are okay with Indian stars coming and doing mediocre performances at our happy occasions, but a show well put together by our own stars would create mass sentiments of distaste. Having said that, who are we to say anything when even top actors look down upon the trend?

"People criticize me and say I don't attend shows such as Lux Style Awards unless I'm paid," top actor Shan once commented in an interview, "but at least I don't dance at weddings!" He knows all too well what the mindsets of people are in our part of the world and he, being a part of the arts, is a victim to that mindset as well.

One main reason for the shifting mindset between Indian and Pakistani dancers is that fact that even generally, most people have more respect for the former. Women in our film industry are looked down upon without even having to don the dancing bells. So dancers performing at weddings are automatically considered cheap, regardless of whether they belong to the film industry or not.

Indians, however, have no such qualms and that can be credited to the very important fact that song and dance is part of their culture and religion and is revered, which is not the case in Pakistan. In India, it's big business and big bucks.

Therefore in India, deciding the entertainment is as vital as deciding the menu. Most Indian actors dancing at weddings have pet choreographers for their shows as well. SRK is particular about his acts being choreographed by Ganesh Hegde, while Govinda prefers Ganesh Acharya. The set-up is similar to that of an awards show, complete with extras, sets and cameras. And if the wedding is being video taped, their charges shoot up. Celina Jaitley, Malaika Arora Khan, Amrita Arora, Dia Mirza and Rakhi Sawant are the most frequently asked for stars, as their prices are comparatively lower, while biggies like Priyanka Chopra and Rani Mukerji charge nothing less than 35-40 lakhs for a 12-minute act.

The men demand bigger bucks, according to some inside sources. Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan boogie for Rs 80 lakh, while Govinda settles for Rs 50 lakh. Their fees go up by a few lakhs if they've just delivered a hit. Bangalore-based event manager Zubair A says, "Bipasha's rate went up to Rs 25 lakh from Rs 12 lakh after 'Beedi Jalaile'. But even Malaika charges around Rs 8.5 lakh, and Koena Mitra Rs 10 lakh for weddings. B-list actresses like Preeti Jhangiani and Kim Sharma charge something between Rs 3 to 3.5 lakh. And these charges don't include their air fare (business class), accommodation and their companions like the make-up man and the hair dresser."

Starlets and item girls also strike it big in this business. For them, weddings and other shows are their main source of sustenance. Telly actors like Tina Hussein are also in the list of wedding performers and get jiggy with it for around 4 lakh, while item girls like Payal Rohatgi, Sanobar Kabir and Kaanta Laaga girl Shefali Zariwala charge around Rs 2-3 lakh, according to sources. Says Zariwala, "I have danced to Kaanta Lagaa at sangeet ceremonies and weddings. Weddings are happy occasions and I like being part of their happiness."

No male actor so far has been heard of being paid for performing at weddings in Pakistan but if there ever were such a day, it would most definitely be frowned upon as well. This, it seems, has become a trait quite common amongst us. Everything is either taboo or scandalous.

For the Indians, it is all a matter of taking everything in good humour and strictly a matter of money. It is a serious business for them. And we all know too well where running that kind of business in Pakistan would land somebody! Though we do have a regular stream of singers and musicians who perform at weddings, celebrities hardly take to the dance floor. We also take pride in importing Indian singers to perform at weddings, such as Sukbir and Stereo Nation, who at some point, had become a regular feature at most high profile weddings and we ever so frequently hear somebody or the other exclaiming, "You should have been at the La de da wedding, they flew in a Lebanese belly dancer and she was absolutely stunning."

It is ever so often that we hear such remarks and it is an absolute pity that we don't have the capacity to accommodate and applaud our own local talent. They need encouragement to flourish and to sustain themselves and therefore it is not a wonder as to why they have to usually succumb to unflattering ways of livelihood, which of course, we all very willing yet again to look down upon!