New Delhi, Dec 9 (IANS) 'Don't talk about borders. Instead, look at borders in women's saris. And it's time India stopped rolling out the red carpet for a dictator.' This is the view of the inimitable Pakistani cross-dressing diva Begum Nawazish Ali who is determined to add some spark to the ongoing conversation between India and Pakistan.

Ali, the famous chat show queen of Pakistan, is set to captivate Indians in a new irreverent chat show with 'her' glamour, wit and iconoclasm, and in the process rake up a controversy or two.

The unique show, to be called Begum, will air on Channel 9X on Dec 15 and will be the first to be hosted by a Pakistani television impresario in India.

'When a dictator gets a hero's welcome in India, then it hurts. You boast of being the world's largest democracy,' Ali, clad in a dazzling orange sari, told IANS in a chat here.

'The government of India needs to be more sympathetic to democracy,' said Ali - born Ali Saleem - literally asking India to meddle in what New Delhi considers the internal affairs of the neighbouring country.

'The Indian official reaction to the imposition of emergency was too mild. It amounted to tacitly supporting emergency,' says Ali, whose 'Late Night Show With Begum Nawazish Ali' became a huge hit and made her an icon in Pakistan.

Her pointed critique is bound to rile the Indian establishment in New Delhi and sure to get her into trouble with the powers-that-be in Islamabad, especially President Pervez Musharraf, who is trying to reinvent himself in a civilian avatar.

'The perception of conflict between India and Pakistan has been created by those who have an interest in keeping these conflicts alive,' she said. 'These conflicts have been kept alive by both sides to make a few extra bucks on the side,' she stressed.

Cultural ties between India and Pakistan continue to be shadowed by a clutch of issues, including visa restrictions inhibiting free travel of artistes and performers between the two countries. Indian films, although hugely popular in Pakistan, are not allowed in Pakistani theatres partly due to fears of cultural hegemony and partly because of commercial reasons.

That's why Ali believes in smashing stereotypes and breaking barriers. She is a strong votary of freer travel and cultural cross-fertilisation among the people of the two countries, separated at birth but akin in emotional and intellectual make-up.

'Thank god, I am not a minister. I get so much love in India,' she says, her eyes lit with a genuine love for the country where she will script a new chapter to her stardom.

'Between the people of the two countries, there is no trust deficit. I am overwhelmed by all the love and affection I get in India. If you go to Pakistan, you will experience similar love,' she said.

She has a crush on John Abraham and would also love to interview politicians like L.K. Advani and I.K. Gujral. She adds that she hopes to find a husband in India!

Ali is, however, agonised by stereotypes clouding the international perception of Pakistan and its identification with global terror brands like Al Qaeda.

'It's a very sad state of affairs. Pakistan is not an extremist or intolerant society. We are fun-loving people,' she said.

'If you are watching suicide bombings in your country, it gets depressing for a lot of people, especially the young. That's why in my shows I ask bold questions about just every aspect of life, including love and sexuality,' she said.

'My shows have given courage to young people. I want people to feel comfortable with who they are,' she said.

In many ways, it's a childhood fantasy come true for Ali, who has been longing since her childhood days to come to India.

But all this serious talk about India-Pakistan ties disguises her quirky sense of humour and her gift for outrageous one-liners that sometimes border on the embarrassing.

She has been always dreaming of seeing the Taj Mahal, she says chirpily, blending Urdu, Hindi and English in one multi-lingual spaghetti.

But her description of the Taj Mahal is sure to shock many Indians. 'Taj Mahal is man's greatest erection for women,' she says unabashedly. Surely, she is itching to chat up Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who built the immortal monument of love, and perhaps supplant Mumtaz Mahal in his affections!