Narrator: This is Little Kabul,
a neighborhood in Pakistan
with markets that look and smell like those in Afghanistan.
And it's home to thousands of refugees, like Farhad Khan.
Narrator: Farhad was a famous actor in Afghanistan
until the Taliban took over.
Narrator: Even though he was born in Pakistan,
he's still not considered a citizen
because his parents were Afghan refugees.
So Farhad decided to pursue acting in Afghanistan instead.
His main inspiration was Bollywood superstar
Shah Rukh Khan.
In fact, Farhad built his career around copying him.
Cameraman: Action.
Narrator: Farhad used to practice his lines
over and over when he was a kid, especially his laugh.
Narrator: These impersonations turned Farhad
into a household name in Afghanistan.
During the 20 years the US Army occupied the country,
Afghanistan's entertainment industry was thriving.
Here's Farhad on the set of his movie
called "Dehshatgard."
He was playing an action star fighting terrorism.
Narrator: Farhad is one of hundreds of artists
who fled the country out of fear.
Narrator: Singer Meena Wafa is starting over in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Narrator: Just a short while ago, she was starring in music videos
and holding concerts like this one in Afghanistan.
Narrator: Meena and her family left Afghanistan in panic.
They walked for hours to get to the border
and had to pay thousands of rupees in bribes along the way.
Narrator: Even before the Taliban's takeover,
Meena would get threatening phone calls
because of her career.
Narrator: The reality is that many of the 1.4 million Afghan refugees
in Pakistan live in terrible conditions.
Here in Sohrab Goth,
the roads are muddy from days of heavy rain.
There's trash piled up everywhere.
And most of the apartment buildings are as run-down
as this one.
The nearby refugee camps are even worse.
Most Afghan refugees here
are treated like second-class citizens,
even though 60% of them
are actually born on Pakistani soil like Farhad.
They're required to register with the government,
which issues them these identity cards.
But they have few rights.
They can't buy property
and have limited access to public healthcare and education.
Some politicians blame them for stealing jobs,
other times, for increases in crime.
And police brutally crack down,
viewing them as the reason for terrorism in Pakistan.
Despite all this, Farhad is thankful to God
that he's here now.
In Pakistan, both Meena and Farhad
are struggling to plan their futures.
Meena wants to keep singing,
and Farhad says he'll take up any acting role,
even if it's as an extra.
But as outsiders, they'll have a tough time
breaking into Pakistan's entertainment industry.
But he's still hoping for a way out.
As he practices some of Shah Rukh Khan's famous scenes,
Farhad hopes that one day
he can be face-to-face with his hero.
Narrator: But right now, he's just struggling to survive.