The upcoming Bollywood film Abir Gulaal, starring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor, will not be released in India, sources from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry have confirmed. The decision follows the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 25 tourists and a local resident were killed.
Scheduled to release on May 9, the film had already faced objections earlier this month from the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, led by Raj Thackeray. The party cited strained relations between India and Pakistan as the reason for its protest. The backlash intensified after the Pahalgam attack, with many theatres unwilling to screen the film.
The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), representing over five lakh industry workers, reinforced its ban on Pakistani artists in response. “Despite the ongoing directive, we’ve been made aware of the recent collaboration with Pakistani actor Fawad Khan for the Hindi film, ‘Abir Gulaal’… we are once again compelled to issue a blanket boycott,” the group stated.
Fawad Khan shared his condolences via Instagram: “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.”
With emotions running high, the hashtag #boycottAbirGulaal is now trending on social media.
