{"id":438745,"date":"2025-04-07T11:37:12","date_gmt":"2025-04-07T06:37:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/?p=438745"},"modified":"2025-04-07T11:37:12","modified_gmt":"2025-04-07T06:37:12","slug":"fawad-khans-comeback-sparks-outrage-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/fawad-khans-comeback-sparks-outrage-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Fawad Khan&#8217;s Comeback Sparks Outrage in India"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Fawad Khan\u2019s Bollywood comeback with <em>Abir Gulaal<\/em> has sparked both excitement and controversy as the romantic comedy, co-starring Vaani Kapoor, gears up for its May 9 release.<\/p>\n<p>While fans eagerly await the film, right-wing groups and industry figures in India are already rallying against it, reigniting debates over the involvement of Pakistani artists in Indian cinema.<\/p>\n\t\t<div class=\"p-alsoread\">\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"heading\">ALSO READ<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<div><a href=\"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/will-cid-finally-end-after-acp-pradyumans-death\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Will CID Finally End After ACP Pradyuman&#8217;s Death?<\/a><\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\n<p>Directed by Aarti S. Bagdi, <em>Abir Gulaal<\/em> is a heartwarming romantic comedy set in the picturesque streets of London. The film promises a delightful mix of laughter, tender moments, and undeniable chemistry between Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor.<\/p>\n<p>Produced by Indian Stories, A Richer Lens, and Aarjay Pictures, the film boasts an impressive team, including producers Vivek B. Agrawal (Queen, Udta Punjab), Avantika Hari, and Rakesh Sippy.<\/p>\n\n<div data-mode=\"normal\" data-provider=\"youtube\" id=\"arve-youtube-ow1p5mqy7eo\" style=\"max-width:800px;\" class=\"arve aligncenter\">\n\t<div class=\"arve-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"arve-embed arve-embed--has-aspect-ratio\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"arve-ar\" style=\"padding-top:56.250000%\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t<iframe allow=\"accelerometer &#039;none&#039;;autoplay &#039;none&#039;;bluetooth &#039;none&#039;;browsing-topics &#039;none&#039;;camera &#039;none&#039;;clipboard-read &#039;none&#039;;clipboard-write;display-capture &#039;none&#039;;encrypted-media &#039;none&#039;;gamepad &#039;none&#039;;geolocation &#039;none&#039;;gyroscope &#039;none&#039;;hid &#039;none&#039;;identity-credentials-get &#039;none&#039;;idle-detection &#039;none&#039;;keyboard-map &#039;none&#039;;local-fonts;magnetometer &#039;none&#039;;microphone &#039;none&#039;;midi &#039;none&#039;;otp-credentials &#039;none&#039;;payment &#039;none&#039;;picture-in-picture;publickey-credentials-create &#039;none&#039;;publickey-credentials-get &#039;none&#039;;screen-wake-lock &#039;none&#039;;serial &#039;none&#039;;summarizer &#039;none&#039;;sync-xhr;usb &#039;none&#039;;web-share;window-management &#039;none&#039;;xr-spatial-tracking &#039;none&#039;;\" allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"arve-iframe fitvidsignore\" credentialless data-arve=\"arve-youtube-ow1p5mqy7eo\" data-lenis-prevent=\"\" data-src-no-ap=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/ow1P5mqy7Eo?iv_load_policy=3&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;autohide=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;autoplay=0\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"450\" loading=\"lazy\" name=\"\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/ow1P5mqy7Eo?iv_load_policy=3&#038;modestbranding=1&#038;rel=0&#038;autohide=1&#038;playsinline=0&#038;autoplay=0\" title=\"\" width=\"800\"><\/iframe>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n<\/div>\n<p>However, the film\u2019s release is already facing backlash. Ashoke Pandit, President of the Indian Film and Television Directors\u2019 Association (IFTDA), has threatened protests, calling the involvement of Pakistani artists \u201cdisrespectful to the nation\u2019s interests.\u201d Pandit\u2019s remarks echo the unofficial \u201cban\u201d on Pakistani artists in India, which has been in place since 2016 following political tensions.<\/p>\n<p>Pandit\u2019s criticism is part of a larger pattern of targeting cross-border collaborations. He accused Pakistani artists of failing to condemn attacks on Indian soil and warned that the \u201centire nation will react\u201d to Khan\u2019s return. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena have also objected to the film\u2019s release in Maharashtra, with MNS vowing to block screenings.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these threats, there is no official government ban on Pakistani artists. In 2023, the Bombay High Court dismissed a petition seeking such a ban, stating that art and culture transcend national boundaries and promote peace.<\/p>\n<p>Fawad Khan is no stranger to Bollywood. His performances in <em>Khoobsurat<\/em> (2014) and <em>Kapoor &amp; Sons<\/em> (2016) earned him widespread acclaim. More recently, he starred in <em>Ms. Marvel<\/em> (2022) and Pakistan\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/sultan-rahis-son-slams-fawad-khans-casting-in-the-legend-of-maula-jatt\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">record-breaking hit <em>The Legend of Maula Jatt<\/em><\/a> (2022), though the latter\u2019s Indian release was halted due to similar objections.<\/p>\n\t\t<div class=\"p-alsoread\">\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"heading\">ALSO READ<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<div><a href=\"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/netflixs-con-mum-faces-20-years-of-jail-time\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Netflix&#8217;s &#8216;Con Mum&#8217; Faces 20 Years of Jail Time<\/a><\/div>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\n<p>While <em>Abir Gulaal<\/em> remains on track for its May 9 release, the controversy surrounding it highlights Bollywood\u2019s growing submission to nationalist forces. Whether the film will enjoy a smooth run or face disruptions remains to be seen. For now, fans are left hoping that love\u2014and art\u2014can rise above petty politics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fawad Khan\u2019s Bollywood comeback with Abir Gulaal has sparked both excitement and controversy as the romantic comedy, co-starring Vaani Kapoor, gears up for its May 9 release. While fans eagerly await the film, right-wing groups and industry figures in India are already rallying against it, reigniting debates over the involvement of Pakistani artists in Indian cinema. Directed by Aarti S. [&hellip;] <a class=\"g1-link g1-link-more\" href=\"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/fawad-khans-comeback-sparks-outrage-in-india\/\">More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":438747,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2506,1294,2576,2557,2199,1293,2515,2530,1297],"tags":[],"adace-sponsor":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-438745","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-actors","8":"category-bollywood","9":"category-celebrity-news","10":"category-cinema","11":"category-featured","12":"category-lollywood","13":"category-movie-film","14":"category-social-issue-cause","15":"category-tv-movies-music"},"wps_subtitle":"Indian extremists threatened to riot over film's premiere","img_urls":{"thumbnail":["https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/abir-gulaal-fawad-364x205.jpg",364,205,true],"medium":["https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/abir-gulaal-fawad.jpg",1000,560,false],"full":["https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/abir-gulaal-fawad.jpg",1000,560,false]},"author_name":"Sher Alam","categories_name":["Actors","Bollywood","Celebrity News","Cinema","Featured","Lollywood","Movie\/Film","Social Issue\/Cause","TV &amp; Film"],"title_text":"Fawad Khan\u2019s Comeback Sparks Outrage in India","related_stories":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts?filter&per_page=4&categories=2506,1294,2576,2557,2199,1293,2515,2530,1297&exclude=438745","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/66"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=438745"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/438745\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/438747"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=438745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=438745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=438745"},{"taxonomy":"adace-sponsor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/propakistani.pk\/lens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/adace-sponsor?post=438745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}