Mumbai, May 4, 2025: The upcoming Bollywood film Abir Gulaal, marking the much-anticipated return of Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, is facing growing uncertainty following the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
Originally slated for release on May 9, the film had been gaining traction with an aggressive promotional campaign. However, amid rising nationalist backlash and political pressure, fans noticed that lead actress Vaani Kapoor had removed all Abir Gulaal-related posts from her Instagram profile, fueling speculation that she may be distancing herself from the project.
A report by Times Now, however, clarified that the deletion was not initiated by Kapoor herself. The content, originally posted via Instagram’s collaboration feature, was removed by the film’s production team, leading to its automatic disappearance from Kapoor’s feed.
The controversy surrounding the film intensified after the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) renewed its long-standing demand for a complete ban on Pakistani artists in India. The FWICE cited national security concerns and echoed its 2019 position taken after the Pulwama attack. Their latest statement came as direct fallout from the ongoing tensions triggered by the Pahalgam shooting, which left 26 dead and for which India has blamed Pakistan, an allegation Islamabad strongly denies.
The backlash has also reached the highest levels, with the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting reportedly reviewing whether to permit the release of Abir Gulaal at all.
Fawad Khan, who had condemned the Pahalgam attack via Instagram by calling it a “heinous act of violence,” has now had his account restricted in India. Other prominent Pakistani celebrities, including Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir, and Atif Aslam — have also been digitally censored. Indian users attempting to access their profiles are met with the message: “Account not available in India. This is because we complied with a legal request to restrict this content.”
With mounting pressure and no clear directive on the film’s future, Abir Gulaal has become another casualty of the escalating diplomatic and cultural standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbours — a stark reminder of how quickly cross-border collaboration in the arts can become entangled in politics.
