Pakistani heartthrob Fawad Khan is set to make his Bollywood comeback with the film ‘Abir Gulaal’ which will also star Vaani Kapoor. However it looks like political tensions are amount within India as right wing parties like the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) are challenging the movie’s release.
According to The Indian Express, Ameya Khopkar who is the head of the chitripat wing of MNS, spoke with the media where he said the party will not allow the film to release in theatres across India.
“We have been protesting against this film, against Pakistani artists and Pakistani films. And we will continue to do so. No film will be released here featuring Pakistani artists. And there is no need to release it. I just want to say, show the courage to release it. I challenge you to release it. In 2016, we had a meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and Raj Thackeray was also there.”
Khopkar was referring to Khan’s 2016 film ‘Ae Dil Hai Mushkil’ which was subjected to immense scrutiny and protests.
“Some of the producer’s associations were also there. That’s when we decided to release the film that was made earlier. After that, no Pakistani film or film about Pakistani artists would be made here. The producer’s association had written a letter to Devendra Fadnavis. Now, I challenge the makers of ‘Abir Gulaal’ to release the film here in Maharashtra.”
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Similarly, the right wing party Shiv Sena’s leader Sanjay Nirupam expressed that Pakistani actors and their films were unpopular among Indian audiences, and said it was the government’s job to reinforce the policy that banned Pakistani actors from working in India.
“When a film is released from Pakistan, Indian people do not like to watch it. It is a different thing to watch one or two films for a minute, but the films of Pakistani artists do not become very popular among the Indian audience. That is why Pakistani stars have never been able to succeed in India. I would advise Pakistanis that instead of exploring the Indian market, it is better to work in their own country. If the central government has made a policy, it should be implemented. I believe that the government should decide whether Pakistani films should be allowed to come to India or not. Whether Pakistani artists should be allowed to work in India or not should also be the government’s decision.”
The film is set to release on May 9, and social media went into a frenzy after a short clip was released showing both Khan and Kapoor sitting in a car together. The synopsis of the film promises this to be a love story set in the backdrop of London.
Fawad Khan has enjoyed immense popularity among Indian audiences with his previous films like ‘Khoobsurat’ (2014) and Kapoor and Sons (2016). Previously, his critical acclaim movie ‘The Legend Of Maula Jatt’ was subjected to immense scrutiny surrounding its release in India in 2024, when hindu nationalist parties threatened to storm movie theatres in protest.
The ban against Pakistani actors working in India was reinstated back in 2016 after the Uri attack. However in 2023 the Bombay High Court dismissed a petition that sought to ban Pakistani artists from working in India as the ruling read:
“Arts, music, sports, culture, dance, and so on are the activities which rise above nationalities, cultures, and nations and truly bring about peace, tranquility, unity, and harmony in nation and between nations.”
