LAHORE: The long-awaited comeback of actor Fawad Khan to Bollywood has encountered a significant setback with the recent bans on his film Abir Gulaal in Pakistan and India, according to media reports.
The coming movie of Fawad Khan got banned in both countries, following the Pahalgam incident on April 22, which sparked further political and cultural tensions between the two countries.
Abir Gulaal, which was first prohibited in India because Fawad Khan was of Pakistani descent, has now also been barred from distribution in Pakistan, this time because the film’s main character is played by Indian actress Vaani Kapoor.
Veteran Pakistani distributor Satish Anand confirmed the decision, citing “the sensitive timing” and escalating cross-border tensions. “Given the closure of both major markets, the ban would result in significant financial losses for the filmmakers,” he added.
Earlier, the Indian music label Saregama had removed the songs of the Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor starrer Abir Gulaal after the recent Pahalgam attack in IIOJK.
The songs ‘Khudaaya Ishq’ and ‘Angrezi Rangrasiya’ have been taken down from Saregama’s and the film’s official YouTube channels and other platforms. The tracks were released earlier this month.
