A fragile union: Moving forward, facing backward

In this concluding installment I consider the conflicting global pressures impacting the durability of Pakistani crossover stardom. I interrogate the recent industry ban on Pakistani artists, its causes, and potential scope both short- and long-term. Finally, I contend that state-based discourses and the experience of nationalism are just one of multiple social realities available to South Asians in a transnational society. The role of consumer capitalism as a form of global citizenship and increasingly shared conditions of cultural experience, supported by media convergence, reveal how popular commodities hold the potential to “unfix” religious and national identity constructs. In supporting this argument, I look at controversial backlash to the ban by both industry professionals and media consumers, including various local and global responses.