Blow to Fawad Khan: Abhiar Gulal also banned in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: After being blocked in India post-Pahalgam incident, Fawad Khan’s international project Abhiar Gulal now faces the same fate in Pakistan.

The film, once expected to hit Pakistani cinemas, has reportedly been pulled from local release. Doors closed soon after India informally blocked the film, despite earlier buzz positioning it as a major cross-border cinematic collaboration.

Prominent distributor Satish Anand confirmed to Indian media that the film would not be released in Pakistan.

He stated, “This is Pakistan’s response to the Indian ban. Since the lead actress is Indian, we’ve decided to stop the release as well.”

The decision has hit Pakistani distribution networks hard. Satish called it “a terribly timed blow” to the film’s prospects.

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Fawad Khan, who gained fame in Bollywood through Khoobsurat, Kapoor & Sons, and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, saw his Indian film career stall after the 2016 Uri attack, when India banned Pakistani artists.

Now, with Fawad Khan’s Abhiar Gulal facing setbacks from both countries, the film’s global release has also been thrown into doubt.

It was initially scheduled for a May 9 release, but that has now been postponed indefinitely.

Fawad Khan stars alongside Indian actress Vaani Kapoor in the film. The teaser dropped on April 1. But following the incident, the film is facing calls for boycott on Indian social media platforms.

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has announced a blanket ban on all Pakistani artistes.

It has also said in a statement that it will take all necessary steps to ensure that the upcoming film, Abir Gulaal, which features Fawad Khan in the lead alongside Vaani Kapoor, is not released in India.