India blocks release of Pakistani star Fawad Khan’s 'Abir Gulaal' after Kashmir attack

The film, initially slated for a May 9 release, has been banned in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack

India has banned the release of "Abir Gulaal", a film starring renowned Pakistani actor Fawad Khan, in the wake of the terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam.

The movie would have marked Fawad's return to Bollywood after nearly a decade, Indian broadcaster NDTV reports.

Following the deadly attack in Jammu and Kashmir on Apr 22, India's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting decided to halt the release of "Abir Gulaal", which also stars Vaani Kapoor, according to NDTV.

Anti-Fawad sentiments had already been building on social media even before the Pahalgam attack, but the outrage intensified afterward. The hashtag #BoycottFawadKhan trended widely, and calls for a ban on Pakistani artists working in India grew louder.

On Apr 23, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), an association of film industry workers, formally called for a boycott of the film. This is the same organisation that had previously demanded a ban on Pakistani artists, singers, and technicians in the Indian film industry after the Pulwama terror attack in 2019, which killed 35 paramilitary personnel.

Following the Pahalgam attack, FWICE renewed its directive. "Despite the ongoing directive, we've been made aware of the recent collaboration with Pakistani actor Fawad Khan for the Hindi film, 'Abir Gulaal'. In light of the recent attack in Pahalgam, FWICE is once again compelled to issue a blanket boycott on all Pakistani artists, singers and technicians participating in any Indian film or entertainment projects. This includes performances or collaborations occurring anywhere in the world," the organisation said in a statement.

FWICE is an umbrella body representing 32 different groups of workers and technicians in India's film industry, with over 500,000 members.

The outrage following the Pahalgam attack also prompted India to take strong diplomatic steps, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan.

India’s soft power sectors, particularly cricket and cinema, have historically seen collaboration between Indian and Pakistani stars. However, in the current climate, those bridges are being dismantled.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Vice-President Rajeev Shukla has confirmed that India will not engage in any bilateral cricket matches with Pakistan following the attack.

In the world of cinema, the impact is already visible -- "Abir Gulaal", and with it, Fawad's Bollywood comeback, will not reach Indian audiences.