Fawad Khan's movie not releasing in India following Pahalgam attack

Due to the deadly militant attack in Pahalgam of Kashmir, Pakistani actor Fawad Khan's upcoming film 'Abir Gulaal' will no longer be released in India. As reported by NDTV, the promotional songs for the film have also been taken down from YouTube in India.

Originally set for release on May 9, the film's release plans changed following the April 22 attack by the militant group The Resistance Front, a faction of Lashkar-e-Taiba, in the Beisaran Valley of South Kashmir. The attack resulted in 26 deaths and numerous injuries.

After the attack, calls to boycott Fawad Khan's film emerged on social media. Two songs from the movie, 'Khudaya Ishq' and 'Angrezi Rangrasiya', which were released on Saregama's and the production company's YouTube channels, have been removed in India. The third song, 'Tain Tain', was yet to be released but has not been published.

The controversy surrounding the film began after the release of its teaser. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leader Raj Thackeray had remarked that, given the current international situation, films featuring Pakistani artists should not be released in India.

In response to the Pahalgam attack, Fawad Khan expressed his condolences on Instagram, saying, "Deeply saddened to hear the news of the heinous attack in Pahalgam. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this horrifying incident, and we pray for strength and healing for their families in this difficult time."

Fawad Khan had previously gained significant popularity in India for his role in the Bollywood film 'Ae Dil Hai Mushkil'. In his latest film, Abir Gulaal, he stars alongside Vaani Kapoor, Riddhi Dogra, Lisa Haydon, Farida Jalal, Soni Razdan, Parmit Seth, and Rahul Vohra.

It is also important to note that following the 2016 Uri attack on an Indian Army camp, a ban was imposed on Pakistani artists working in Hindi films. However, the ban was lifted in 2023.