First look of Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor's romantic comedy 'Abir Gulaal'.
Renowned Pakistani actor Fawad Khan’s Bollywood comeback seems to have come to a halt. His upcoming film Abir Gulaal, also starring Vaani Kapoor, was initially set to release on May 9 in India. However, following the Pahalgam terror attack that killed at least 26 civilians, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting of India has announced that the film will not be released in the country.
The recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam had once again led to calls to boycott Pakistani artists and their movies in India. The latest victim of the boycott call was the romantic comedy Abir Gulaal. Now, according to reports, the film will no longer hit Indian theatres.
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According to reports, exhibitors were wary of screening the film, fearing backlash. The film, directed by Aarti S. Bagdi, might be pushed back till things calm down a bit, an exhibitor told the Hindustan Times.
The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) released a statement on Wednesday calling for complete non-cooperation with all Pakistani actors, singers, and technicians within the Indian film and entertainment industry.
The original directive was issued in 2019 after the Pulwama terror attack that killed nearly 40 CRPF personnel.
Meanwhile, Fawad Khan took to Instagram condemning the terror attack. “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,” he wrote.
Fawad Khan’s Instagram story.
While taking to her Instagram story, actress Vaani Kapoor wrote, “Have been numb, at a loss of words since the time I have seen the attack on innocent people in Pahalgam. Gutted. Devastated. My prayers are with the families.”
Vaani Kapoor’s Instagram story.
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On Wednesday, Abir Gulaal was trending on social media, with the hashtag #boycottAbirGulaal. “If govt is serious, they must ban the film ‘Abir Gulaal’… They deserve a full-fledged boycott,” a social media user wrote on X.
Back in 2016, after the Uri terror attack, Pakistani actors were banned from working in the Indian film and music industry. At the time, Fawad Khan was rising in popularity in India with his performance in Kapoor and Sons (2016) being loved by audiences and critics alike.
However, the Uri attack had led a massive boycott call for Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) even though Khan only had a small role in the film. The rising anti-Pakistan sentiment and backlash led to Johar issuing an apology and stating that he will not work with Pakistani artists in the future.
