Ali Zafar recently slammed compatriot actor Shaan Shahid for calling Pakistani celebrities "cheap sell-outs" for using Bollywood as a stairway to their success. Whilst receiving an award for the 'International Icon of the Year' at the same ceremony, the 'Tere Bin Laden' actor asserted that they made excuses to hide their weaknesses, sometimes, in the name of patriotism, sometimes, in the name of other things, the Express Tribune reported.

The 33-year-old actor said that one should be honest and it was disrespectful of Shahid to blame the artistes such as Bade Ghulam Ali, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan,and Mohsin Khan among others who have played their part in Bollywood, as sell-outs.